Brighten the Corners
by R3-1 M4y3r
Summary: Side story that is a series of one shots of what happened between "Slanted and Enchanted" and "Crooked Rain". Huge thank you to my readers who gave me the idea!
1. Indecent Exposure

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX_

_Like I wrote at the beginning of Chapter 7 for "Crooked Rain", I've had some readers of that story asking me about stuff they'd like to read more about. This set of ideas in my head and I thought I'd have a collection of One Shots about the missing years between "Slanted and Enchanted" and "Crooked Rain." Some of them will be about things mentioned briefly in "Crooked Rain" and some just other things that comes to mind. If there's anything you'd like to read about you're welcome to send me a message. I'll probably not write about all of them but sometimes, like mention, it clicks with me and I come up with something._

_This is named after a Pavement-album as well. The third is actually named "Wowee Zowee" but that wasn't going to happen. So I took the fourth since the name was fitting.  
_

_This first one is mentioned in Chapter six._

* * *

**Indecent ****Exposure**

Tig was holding on to the bitch's hips while slamming into her. She was moaning but it didn't seem like honest moans. He couldn't have cared less. She had big tits, was blond and knew how to use her mouth on his dick, that's why he'd brought her to his dorm. Not because he wanted to hear her moan.

His phone rang and he considered to not even bothered, especially when he didn't recognize the number. Finally he answered, it could be Jax.

"Yeah?"

"Tig. I'm in trouble." It wasn't Jax.

"Give me a sec." He pulled out of the Crow Eater, smacked her ass and pointed at the door. When she was out he spoke again. "What did you do, Sunshine?"

"Tell me you didn't answer while having sex." She groaned.

"I don't have sex. I fuck."

"Oh, God. This day couldn't get any worse." She mumbled. "I've been arrested for indecent exposure. Can you come and bail me out?"

Tig was really glad that she trusted him enough to call him. At the same time her cursed that she did cause this would mean months of glaring from Hap and he liked Hap. He sighed but didn't hesitate. "I'm on my way."

"Thanks."

He hung up and pulled up his pants then he walked outside.

-o0o-

When they stepped outside the police station he gave her a hug. "I don't think it's a good idea to take you home."

Hap wouldn't hurt her, not in a million years, but he would be furious and he didn't always think clearly when he was. And he would never back off, if he grounded her for a year in a fit of rage he wouldn't go back on that even when he realized how stupid it was. And the thought of Grace flashing her tits to some jocks outside a bar for tequila would fuck up his head completely. He'd ground her, force her to tell him the guys was and go out and shoot them.

"No, probably not." She laughed and looked down at the ground. "But I'm sure it'll be fine. Eventually."

Tig sighed again. This would be hell and Hap would go crazy but, fuck it. He could deal with this and Sunshine shouldn't have to. "I'll take you up to a cabin a friend of mine owns. You can hang out there for a couple of days until Hap's over the worst."

She looked at him with big eyes. "He'll kill you."

Tig put his arm around her, hugged her tighter. "Nah. He'll be pissed as hell but it'll be fine." He kissed her cheek. "I've had worse."

"I bet," she chuckled. He really loved this girl.

It was better if Hap was pissed with him instead of her. Besides, this was the first time she did something really crazy and it was a good sign. She might become normal after all, they might not have fucked her up completely, even if the only friends she had was the people in the club and Wormy.

Tig didn't think that was normal, she should have loads of girl friend, do stupid silly stuff and giggle about nail polish and boys. She didn't. She repaired bikes and cars, avoided all the girls at school and he wasn't even sure if she had ever kissed anyone.

"Where's Wormy?"

"At home probably. I'll call him later. He's fine."

"Did he see your tits?"

She just laughed and hugged him again.

-o0o-

He took her up to the cabin on his bike and found the key he knew was hidden at the back of the house.

"Who's cabin is this?" She said as they walked inside.

"A friend," he avoided the question and hoped she'd leave it at that.

She gave him a huge smile. "Big tits?"

He laughed. "Huge."

It belonged to a bitch he picked up now and then. She was married and this is where she'd usually take him. He would have to give her a call and explain that he'd borrowed this place. A proper fuck and she'd be ok with it and he didn't mind.

Grace went into the kitchen and opened the pantry. "There's some tea and canned food."

"I'll get you food." He handed her the keys. "Want something else?"

"Got any smokes?"

He shook his head and gave her his pack. "Outside."

They both went outside and when she sat down and lit a smoke he got down next to her. "I'll go and talk to Ava. Hap won't be back until tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Tig. I know you're putting yourself in a shitty situation for me." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You're welcome, Sunshine." He put his arm around her. "I gotta get going. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Anything you need from home?" Ava would probably help him if he explained why he did what he did.

"Some clothes and a toothbrush."

He kissed her forehead and got on his bike.

-o0o-

Ava opened the door in a huge t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Tig?" She rubbed her eyes. "Has something happened?"

"Everyone's fine." He stepped inside when she held the door open. "Sunshine's been arrested for indecent exposure."

Ava looked wide awake all of a sudden. "Oh shit." She looked outside to see if anyone was out there. "Is she still in custody?"

"No. I bailed her out. She called me." He really hoped that Ava could see this the same way as he did. "I'm not sure you'll agree with me on this but I think it's best if Hap get a couple of days to get used to the thought before seeing her."

Ava put her arms on her hips and looked pissed for a few seconds and then she laughed. "Shit!" She walked into the kitchen and sat down. "What happened?"

"Some guys outside a bar offered her tequila if she showed him their tits. She was drunk and did it."

Ava leaned her face in her hands for a few seconds before looking up at him. "Fuck! Why the fuck did she do that?" Ava didn't swear that often so she was really upset. He couldn't really blame her.

"She was drunk." He shrugged. "Give her a break, she hardly ever does anything stupid and Hap's going to be all over her ass anyway."

"Yeah." Deeeep sigh. "You're probably right but you do realize he's going to be all over _your_ass if you hide her away from him."

"I know. I can handle that."

"How is she?"

"She's fine."

"Scared?"

"Nah. Not really. It was my idea, Ava. No hers."

"Ok. He wouldn't hurt her."

"I know that, she knows that too. But he'll be furious and say somethings stupid that he'll never admit was stupid."

"He probably would." She looked exhausted more than anything. It wasn't a big secret that Hap and Sunshine's fights was tough and Ava was probably usually right smack in the middle of them.

"She wanted some clothes and her toothbrush."

"I'll pack some stuff for her."

Ava came back and handed him a heavy backpack. "I don't want to know where she is, I can't ever lie to Happy." Tig nodded at her. "But you better take care of my baby, Tig. I mean it. I'll rip out your heart out with my bare hands if you don't."

He gave her a hug. "I'll take care of her. You know I love her to death."

"I know. Just wanted to make sure."

Ava was a smart woman and as oppose to every other woman he'd ever known she was always calm. Like right now. And since she was so fucking calm you could always reason with her. And she knew what Hap was like, better than anyone else. She'd be able to handle this, without a doubt.

"She'll be fine, call me if there's anything."

"I'll take care of him." They were at the door. "Tell her I'm pissed at her, mostly because she was drunk and that I love her."

"I'll tell her."

-o0o-

On his way back to the cabin he stopped at a gas station and bought some food and instant coffee. When he came to the cabin Grace was sleeping in the couch. He woke her up.

"Here's some stuff. Take the bed."

"Couldn't find clean sheets. I'm not sleeping in a bed you've fucked in."

"You have a filthy language for a virgin. And dirty mind."

"Am I wrong?" She had her teasing smile.

"No." He laughed, found clean sheets and helped her to made the bed. "You're mom's pissed that you were drunk and said she loved you."

"Was she pissed at you?"

"She's a smart woman, she knows Hap."

"Yes she does." Grace sat down on the bed. "Think he'll be disappointed at me?"

"Maybe a little." He sat down next to her. "But it would be the first time ever, kiddo. You're a good daughter."

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep. I'll come get you when he calms down. Give me a call if you need anything."

"Be careful with dad, please. I wouldn't want you to get beaten into a pulp because of me."

"Hey, I can take down Hap any day of the week."

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He kissed her cheek. "Drink some water. It'll help you with the hangover."

When he came back to the clubhouse he went back into his room. He needed some sleep as well, tomorrow would be a long fucking day.

-o0o-

"Open this fucking door you motherfucker!"

Tig opened his eyes. It sounded like Hap'd had the news. "Give me a sec!"

"_One_ sec you fucking asshole!"

He pulled on his jeans and opened the door and Hap flew in, grabbed him and pushed him up to the wall. "Where the fuck is she?"

"You need to calm down, brother." He pushed him away.

"I'll calm down when you tell me where the fuck she is."

"And I'm not telling you where she is until you've calmed down." He found a t-shirt on the floor and pulled it over his head. Filthy Phil and Opie was standing at the door.

"She's my daughter."

"I know that she is. But you've got your head to far up your ass right now. This isn't a big thing."

"Not a big thing?" Hap was back to the screaming. "She was drunk and flashed her fucking tits."

Hap wouldn't calm down, not until he got this shit out of his system and Hap only had two ways of getting things out of his system, he fucked or he hit someone. Tig wasn't about to fuck him.

"It was about time she showed those tits to _someone_." He heard Phil's deep inhale and then he felt Hap's hand connect to the left side of his face. The next hit was in his stomach and the final cracked a rib. That's how many blows Hap managed to land before Filthy Phil and Opie managed to pull him away and Jax and Bobby came running.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Jax yelled as he entered the room.

Tig managed to get up and leaned against the wall.

"This motherfucker won't fucking tell me where Grace is." Hap said and he did seem calmer.

"Get him the fuck out of here." Jax pointed at Hap and closed the door after them. He threw a towel at Tig. "What the fuck did you do now?"

The door opened and Opie came inside. Tig explained, "Grace called last night. She had been arrested for indecent exposure. Flashed her tits to some guy when she was drunk. I bailed her out and I thought it was best if she was out of the way until Hap calmed down."

"This is your version of calming Hap down?" Jax said.

"He needed to get it out of his system." He dried his face.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Opie said.

"I did. So did Ava." He managed to get off the floor. "I know Hap wouldn't hurt Grace but he's crazy when it comes to her. If she'd been here he'd say some shit that'd he'd regret the next day, then he'd killed those guys just for seeing her tits."

Ope and Jax looked at each other. "Still, she's his daughter," Opie said.

"I know she is." He sighed and decided to try to explain. "We all know that the reason the only friend she had as kid was Peter because of the club. The fancy pants parents didn't want their kids around us or Hap when she was younger. Now she'd avoiding other girls because they usually try to fuck one of us the second she brings them here."

Grace had brought _one_ girl here about two months earlier. She was two years older than Grace and had ended up giving a hangaround a blowjob in the bar in front of everyone. Luckily Grace had left before it got that far since she knew where it was heading.

When she left she had looked at Tig, pointed at the girl and said 'that's why my only friend is a gay guy.'

Tig knew that wasn't the only reason she hung out with Pete but she could see her point. And he felt guilty about it, even if she loved the club, loved all of them and they all loved her like fucking crazy, it didn't help her to get a normal life.

Opie sighed, probably since the club was the reason his daughter avoided him and Jax looked down on the floor.

"That's still not a reason to hide her away," Jax said.

"This is the most normal, girl-like thing she's done. It's not normal to be such a good girl. I don't want her to get into trouble for this shit. She feels bad about it enough already."

"You'll get hell for this."

"I know."

The door opened and Bobby came inside. "You've got Grace?"

"I don't 'got' her. I'm helping her," Tig said.

Bobby looked at him and then he nodded. He had known that Bobby would understand right away. That he was taking the heat for Grace.

-o0o-

It was two days of hell.

The first day, the one of the fist fight, Happy glared at him the entire time and every time the others left their side he flew at him. He didn't manage to hit him again but it was bad. In the afternoon Ava came a picked him up and forced him to go home. He had a feeling that Ava would get the fuck of a life time that night if Hap managed to calm down enough to see how fucking hot his Old Lady was.

The next he kept glaring at him but towards the end of the day he finally sat down next to him.

"How's the face?" Hap asked.

"Better than the ribs."

They were quiet for a while. "Is she scared?"

"No. She's just worried that you're disappointed at her."

Hap sighed and rubbed his head. "Go get her." He looked up and met Tig's eyes and than he said something that Tig never thought he'd hear from Hap's mouth. "Please."

Tig nodded. "I'll take her to your house."

-o0o-

Grace was sitting in the couch, reading, when he walked through the door.

"Get ready. You're going home."

She looked up at him. "That mad?"

"What?"

"Your face. Was he that mad?"

"I provoked him, thought I'd speed up the process." She smiled at him. "This is a shit hole, you shouldn't stay any longer that you have to."

He watched her pack up her things, she put her backpack on and then came up right in front of him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him hard.

"Thank you. I'll never forget this."

He hugged her back and they walked outside. He looked up and put the key back to the hiding place.

He started the bike and felt her sit up. She leaned her chin on his shoulder. When they got to her house the door opened and Hap and Ava came outside. She sat off and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Tig."

"Any time, Sunshine."

He watched walk over to Hap who gave her a hug and was just about to leave when he noticed Ava coming towards him. She hugged him and he got another kiss.

"Thank you. I'm glad she's got you guys."

"Not a problem, Ava."

He looked over at Hap and noticed the glare. He was going to be on his shit list for months. It was worth it though. Sunshine was in the clear and Hap wasn't pissed at her anymore. Even if it took a while, Hap would figure out why he'd done it and all will go back to normal.


	2. I just got fed up

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. They all belong to Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_Thank you for suggestions and a couple of really good ideas. Regarding Happy and Ava's marriage and Lemmy's birth, they are coming up but I don't want them here too early so they spoil the read of "Crooked Rain". _

_This side story is mostly a way for me to be able to get some stuff out of my head and also to make "S & E" and "Crooked Rain" more fuller, a way to make the characters more complete for both me and the readers. It's in now way necessary to read this to understand "Crooked Rain" but I think it could make that story better._

_Thank you for Follows, Favs and Reviews. I love them, but I'm sure you all know that by know. This is just a short story that popped up and I thought you might like it._

* * *

**I just got fed up**

This wasn't the first time he was in a principals office and he suddenly felt like a school boy. They all smelled the same, all principals had the same look and none of them had ever liked him. He looked over at Ava who seemed completely calm, as usual, but he guessed that she hadn't had the same experience with principals as he had. She used to be a good girl.

"Miss Lowman, would you mind telling your parents why we are here."

"I hit Katey in the face." Grace said with a frown and Happy could just barely stop himself from laughing.

The principal, Sheila Howell according on the sign on the desk, sighed. "And maybe you could tell us why you hit Miss Rhodes?"

"She called Peter a fucking faggot, asked him if he'd taken it up the ass lately and told him that he and all his faggot friends were going to burn in hell." She was looking at Happy when she said it and he was still trying to not laugh.

That bitch had been on to Peter quite often and if all she got when Grace had finally lost it was a punch, she should count herself lucky. Grace and Peter were very protective of each other and Grace rarely lost her temper with anyone but himself.

Ava cleared her throat and Happy leaned back, this would probably be good.

"I'm assuming that this school has a non-discrimination policy?"

"Of course Mrs. Lowman."

"And how are you implementing that among the students?"

Happy loved when Ava went into the 'Tigress Mode'. He was of no use what so fucking ever at things like this but he liked to tag along to watch Ava go haywire on anyone who dared to threaten Grace. In any way.

"We have informed them that we don't accept derogatory language or comments about anyones sex, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin. It is also included as a pamphlet in the welcoming package when they start this school"

"I'm sure they all read those," Ava smiled. She was very good at being sarcastic. "And comments like the one _Katey _gave Peter, how do you deal with those?"

"We talk to the student and reprimand them."

"Are you aware of the fact that Peter gets comments like that every day, quite often in front of teachers and that no one is ever _reprimanded_ for it."

Mrs. Howell looked extremely uncomfortable and Happy was going to fuck his wife silly that night. He loved her like crazy right now. Only Ava could make a principal regret that she brought in the mother of a girl who punched someone.

He looked over at his thirteen year old daughter who was trying to hide her smile. He took her hand and squeezed it carefully.

"I am aware that it's been some problems..."

Ava didn't even let her finish. "And that Grace on several occasions has brought this behavior to the teachers attention and that they _still_ don't act on it?"

"No, I wasn't..."

"And that Grace has _repeatedly_ contacted you as well. I'm sure you're aware of _that _at least?"

"Yes..." This time Ava didn't interrupt her and just stared at her for a long time. But when the bitch didn't say anything else she continued.

"Can you really blame her for finally loosing it when someone is treating her best, her _only_, friend like that?"

The principal was quiet and finally looked at Grace. "We take violent behavior very seriously at this school but I think that we under the circumstances can... overlook this incident. If you can guarantee that it won't happen again."

Happy was biting his cheeks to not give the bitch a smug smile.

"It won't happen again," Ava said again. "I trust that you will work harder to implement that non-discrimination policy as well," she added.

"Yes, we have been planning a day with seminars."

Happy was pretty sure that she just came up with that idea and judging from Ava's next comments, she assumed the same thing.

"That sounds good." Ava got up and pulled Grace with her. "I look forward to hearing from Grace about it."

Then she stomped outside. Happy got up a few seconds later and smiled at the principal. She looked about as uncomfortable as he had felt when he entered her office. Served the bitch right.

He hurried to catch up with Grace and Ava.

When they came to the parking lot, Ava turned to Grace. "You can wipe that smug smile off your face, young lady. You're grounded."

Ava got into the car, slammed the door shut and Grace turned towards him. He gave her a hug.

"Can't walk around punching people, Sugar." He kissed her hair. "But you protected your friend. I like that."

"She's been horrible, I just got fed up."

"I know. How's the hand?"

"Hurts." She had her whiny voice and he looked at the hand. It was swollen. "I'll talk to Chibs. He can teach you how to throw a real punch."

"Yeah?"

"When you're not grounded anymore." He gave her another hug. "Don't tell your mom."

"Ok," she said and gave him a careful smile.

He opened the door to the backseat and Grace went inside. Then he opened the door to the driver seat, leaned in and kissed Ava who still looked pissed. He bit her earlobe and whispered in her ear.

"I love you."

She looked at him with big eyes and he kissed her again. He fucking loved when she got into that protective mode and went all Gemma on people. After a performance like the one she just had she had earned to hear those word he hardly ever used.


	3. He's getting old

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_Another one of those things that popped up and I do seem to remembered someone asking about something like this, but I can't find the PM or the review. So if you recognize this, let me know and I'll credit you properly. Very sorry!_

_And thank you so much for follows, favs and Reviews!  
_

**He's getting old**

Ava was leaning one hand on the counter and her forehead was in the other. She was so fucking fed up with this.

"How fucking hard could it be to help out once in a while? You're twelve, you're not a baby anymore!" He yelled.

"I'm helping!" When Grace screamed like that it was like when someone ran their nails down a black board.

"With what?! You don't even pick up your own shit in the hallway!" Happy pointed with his hand towards the hallway and Ava could clearly see the vein on his forehead.

She sighed again. It was as if the two of them were trying to make up for the fact that she couldn't yell so they yelled twice as much. It was driving her insane.

When some people once in a while dared to ask if Happy really thought about Grace as his own flesh and blood this is what she wanted to show them. No man could ever get this pissed at anyone but his own hormonal daughter.

What sometimes surprised her was that despite the horrible shit those two had yelled at each other, not once, ever, did anyone of them mention that they weren't blood. Happy had never lost it in the middle of a fight and pointed out that she wasn't his and Grace had never said he wasn't her dad. That was the one thing Ava had been scared of when the fights started but it hadn't happened yet.

"I was going to! You started yelling the second I came inside!" Grace tried to defend herself and in all honesty, she was right.

Happy had told her to not slam the fucking door every time she walked into the house and she had been at his throat immediately. That's how it started. On the other hand, she left her backpack and jacked just like that no matter what happened when she came home.

"I was _not_ fucking yelling the second you came inside!" Happy was very close to loosing it and Grace was even closer, they had been at it for thirty minutes and Ava had stopped trying about ten minutes earlier. There was no way she could be even make herself heard in this 'conversation'.

"You always yell, the entire time. You never fucking stop!" Grace was closing in on the finale. At least she hadn't thrown anything at him this time. "I HATE YOU!" There, the grand finale and then she stormed out. Ava sighed, walked up to Happy who had that look, pissed and heartbroken at the same time.

She put her arms around his waist. "You know she doesn't mean it."

"Yeah." He looked at her and put his arms around her. She hugged him closer.

"She loves you, she's just..."

"A teenager."

"A daughter, they're like that."

"Were you like that?"

"Yeah, back then I could yell." She pulled him down for a kiss. "I love you."

"Good." He kissed her forehead. "I gotta call Piney."

-o0o-

Piney was sitting outside of the clubhouse when his phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hey, Piney." It was Hap on the other end of the line and he sounded tired. Piney chuckled, he knew what this was about.

"Had another fight?"

"Yeah, she took off. Call me when she's there."

"I'll call."

Hap usually called him when she stormed out. He wanted to know when she arrived to the clubhouse to makes sure she got there safe. Any doubt Piney'd had about Hap's ability as a dad had disappeared pretty damn fast. So had any wish Piney'd had to have a daughter. Sunshine was a great kid but those teenage hormones was driving Hap to the edge and quite often over it.

Gemma had summed it up pretty well. 'With boys there's trouble at school and with girls you get them at home.' As far as Piney could tell, that was dead on.

He moved to the front of the garage instead so that he could see her when she came. 'Cause she would come, she always did.

-o0o-

He saw her stomping through the gates and he picked up the phone to Hap. She had managed to stay angry all the way from their house to the clubhouse, a forty-five minute walk, it must have been bad fight.

"She's here."

"_Let me know when I can pick her up."_

He hung up again before Grace could see it. She hated Hap's overprotectiveness and Piney didn't want her any more pissed. She walked past the entrance of the clubhouse and when she saw him, she halted and smiled.

"What's up kiddo?"

She sat down next to him and was still. Piney knew what that meant, if she was still something was wrong, they had all picked up on that. So she needed a little more time.

She didn't answer his question but he hadn't expected her too even if she was ok. They didn't talk much, Grace and him. They just were.

"Can I have a coke?"

"You know where they are." He nodded and watched her going into the garage to take one.

She came back with a coke he handed her a straw. They sat silently for a long time, looking at the people coming and going, working on the cars, fiddling with the bikes. He noticed her legs as they started to swing, just a little at first and then more. Even if she was twelve she was still doing that and she was obviously not pissed anymore. He patted her knee.

"Don't know what this is about but he means well, kiddo."

She looked up at him and smiled. Piney turned around and saw Gemma in the window to the office and he nodded to her. She was going to call Hap and tell him the kid was calm again.

Ten minutes later Hap drove into the lot he got of the bike and walked up to them. Grace met him and jumped up into his arms. He lifted her up and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"I know, Sugar." He kissed her cheek, still hugging her.

"I don't hate you."

"Good to know." Hap put her down on the ground. "Wanna go home?"

Grace nodded then she ran up to Piney again. She put her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

Even if she was small and skinny she could hug really hard. So Piney hugged her back. Kid was crazy but she had the best hugs.

"Go easy on him, kiddo. He's getting old," he whispered in her ear.

Grace laughed and kissed his cheek then she ran up to the bike. Hap came up to him as well and Piney stood up to hug him as too. The poor man looked like he needed a hug.

"Thanks."

"No problem. What was it about this time?"

"It started with her slamming the door and ended on the cleaning. Not sure what the fuck happened between the two." Hap shook his head and watched Grace as she was talking to Tig. Hap was a neat freak and Grace wasn't.

They both had a temper even if Grace's was a bit more explosive according to Ava. When Piney had challenged her on that she had looked at him with that coy smile. 'Grace is the kind of girl who would just blow someones head of and be done with it. I somehow doubt that Happy ever just pulls the trigger if he can avoid it. He takes his time.'

He had stared at her and then laughed. That woman knew exactly what kind of a man she had married.

When they came up to Hap's bike Grace gave Tig a kiss and then come up to him for another hug. "Thank you again, Piney. I love you."

"Love you too, kid." He leaned closer to her ear. "Call me next time, I'll pick you up."

"I like the walk." She answered and gave him another kiss.

He watched them drive away and then Gemma came out from the office.

"What was it about this time?"

"Something about slamming doors and cleaning." Piney chuckled. "He's got a handful with that one."

"Wait 'til she starts dating and wants birth control. That'll make him miss the fights about slamming doors."


	4. Clutch adjustment

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_I had a dentist appointment this morning and in an attempt to keep my mind off it I took a walk there and came up with this story. I wrote it down at work, rather quickly so I'm sorry if it seems a bit shallower than usual. It's also a really short one but I liked it that way, just a teaser._

_Thank you for follows, favs and those amazing reviews. I'll answer them when I come home, don't want to waste more time at work at the moment. New chapter on "Crooked Rain" will be up tonight CET._

* * *

**Clutch adjustment**

Skip was sitting down next to his bike. He had been thinking about fixing it for a while and now when the Redwoods were here he took the opportunity to stay behind. Tiny was sitting behind him, drinking a beer. A girl came walking towards them, holding a soda with a straw in it. Behind her was a guy that probably was her dad. They both had curly dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Skip knew that he was called Tig but he hadn't known that he had a daughter. She sat down next to Tiny and Tig got down next to her.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked and when he turned around and looked at her she was sitting on the bench and sipping on the coke.

"It makes a clunking sound." He mumbled mostly to himself, he wasn't in the mood to speak to an annoying kid.

"If it's just sometimes it's ok."

"It's often." She was really annoying him now.

"That's not normal. You should check the clutch adjustment. If it's dragging it makes that sound more often."

He turned around again and looked at her. She had a strange fur hat, loads of black make up around her extremely blue eyes. If she hadn't been so fucking annoying she could've been cute. He noticed both Tiny and Tig smirking at him.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen." She said while taking another sip of her drink. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen." He was still staring at her. "Are you supposed to wear make-up?"

"No." Her eyes were full of mischievous and were sparkling. Annoying fucking kid.

Happy came up to them and nodded at him then turned his attention to the girl on the bench. "What the fuck! Who did that?"

"Bonnie." Tig answered for her.

"Go wash your face, Sugar."

"Daaad."

"Wash it! Now!" He watched her leave and then turned to Tig. "Who the _fuck_is Bonnie?"

"One of the Sweet butts." Tiny smiled. "Quite popular, huge tits."

Happy looked like he was ready to kill and stared at Tig. "Explain."

"Bonnie said she'd give me a blowjob if I let her fix my kid. She thought she was cute."

"She's not your kid."

"I know that. Bonnie didn't. And I wanted a blowjob." Tig shrugged. "And Grace didn't protest."

"Course not. She's been nagging about being allowed to use make up for months. I'll never hear the end of this." Then he looked at Tig. "Did she say that in front of Grace?"

"About the blowjob?" Happy nodded and Tig smiled. "Yeah, but she's heard shit like that before."

"Oh come on! Fucking hell, Tig. How the fuck do I explain this to Ava? Grace with hooker make up and talking about blowjobs."

"It was not hooker make up. I've seen hooker make up. Grace looked real pretty. Older."

"I know. That's why she's not allowed to use make up." He pointed at Tig. "I'll get you for this." Then he walked away. Tig didn't look that bothered.

"She's his kid?" He had assumed that she was Tig's since they had the same eyes. "Though she was yours."

"Nah. She's just my partner in crime." He said with a smile.

Tiny looked after Happy. "Hard to picture him with a kid. Where's the mom?"

"Visiting her brother in New York with the smaller kid, so we had to bring Grace here. Not that anyone but Happy minded." Tig got up and pointed at the bike. "I'd check the clutch adjustment if I was you. She's hardly ever wrong."

After checking everything he could think of _but_the clutch adjustment he finally checked that. It fucking worked. He walked into the clubhouse to wash his hands. Tiny was in the couch next to that annoying fucking kid.

"What was wrong with it?" He asked with a smirk.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Tiny and the kid looked at each other and said "Clutch adjustment," at the same time with a huge smile. Skip really hoped she was going back to Charming soon.


	5. Mr Winkles

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_This is a really short one again but this incident will come up later in "Crooked Rain". I'm not putting these out in any particular order as long and when this takes place **Grace is about ten years old**._

_As always, a huge thank you for follows, favs and Reviews. I'm sure you know by now how much I love them._

* * *

**Mr. Winkles**

They were in the middle of a run and had taken a break when he took a look on his phone and saw that Grace had called. She rarely called him when he was on runs anymore. She used to call about pretty much fucking anything from informing him about a butterfly she'd seen to a comet striking. He had told her to try to only call him about things on the more urgent part of the scale so this was probably something important. He called her up.

"_Daaaad!" _She was crying.

His heart stopped for a second. "What's wrong?"

She could hardly speak she was crying so hard. _"I-i-i-it's M-M-Mr. Winkles!"_

Fuck! The damn fish. It better not have died on her. "What's wrong with him, honey?"

"_He was on his back, belly up, all deeeaaaad!"_ Grace whaled between deep sobs.

"Sweetie, he was really old. Fishes die and four years is quite impressive for a fish." Happy tried but he hated when she cried. "You took real good care of him honey."

"_But he's dead now!"_

Happy couldn't handle when she cried. It broke his fucking heart, probably because she hardly ever did. And like this, when he as on a run and she cried on the phone made it even worse. He didn't know what to do. Stupid fucking fish! Couldn't it have waited one more fucking day to give in?

"Honey. We'll bury it when I come home. In the garden." He couldn't help notice the other guys amused faces. Fucking assholes! But it seemed to calm her down a little bit.

"_With flowers."_ She was still sobbing slightly.

"Sure. We'll do that." He'd buy that silly fish a fucking headstone if it made her feel any better. "He'd like that."

"_I really really loved him."_

"I know you did, Sugar." He was pinching his nose. If only she could stop sobbing.

"_Can you ask the others to come as well?" _She sniveled.

Oh, fucking awesome, he was going to have to ask them to go to a funeral! For a fish!

"Absolutely."

"_I love you, dad."_

"Love you too, Sugar." The other's were still standing around him with smug faces. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up and looked up at them.

"What was that about?" Jax asked

"Mr. Winkles died." He put the phone into his pocked. "So we're all going to his fucking funeral tomorrow."

"She's burying the fish?" Opie looked stunned "I mean.. it's a fish."

"What the fuck was I supposed to say? Flush the stupid thing down the toilet?" He stared at them, dared them to fucking tease him about this.

They were stood silently for a while and then the giggles started to spread. Happy wanted to shoot them all. Fucking assholes. But none of them were laughing out loud.

"Think she'll let me be one of the pallbearers?" Tig finally said while trying to contain his laughter. It worked, for about two seconds and then he exploded into laughter.

It took the others about three more seconds before they started to laugh as well.

"Fucking hell!" He yelled. "Can't you just do this for her? She was really upset."

"We'll be there," Bobby said while drying his cheeks.

-o0o-

They all showed up. Properly dressed and stood around and watched Grace bury Mr. Winkles in the garden. She cried a bit and then they ate the brownies that Bobby had made for her. They all behaved and no-one laughed but he kept finding plastic fishes taped to his bike for months after that.


	6. Government Print

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_I'm a firm belivever of giving credit when credit is due. In "Slanted & Enchanted" there is some mentioning of the Government Print Section at the library. Among other chapters in the Chapter 10: She tickled me. One of my most loyal readers, **wishuy**, asked me if I couldn't write a one shot about when Ava finally got what she wanted and my only reaction was: How the did I not think about that?_

_So here it is. It takes place not too long after Hap's been released from jail and if you like it, send a silent or a loud thank you to **wishuy** for asking for it._

* * *

**Government Print**

Happy was in a hurry when he walked through the doors to the library. He half ran past the reception and up the stairs to Ava's office but the door was locked.

"Fuck!" He turned around and saw a blond woman who was holding her daughter and stared at him. Right, children's section, he probably shouldn't curse here.

He didn't pay them any more attention and ran back down to the reception again. He recognized the girl behind the counter, she had worked there for a while.

"Where's Ava?"

"She's cataloging in Government Print."

That made him halt for a second and he smiled. "Government Print?"

"Yes. Do you want me to show you where it is?"

"No. I know where it is," he said over his shoulder as he walked towards the Government Print section.

He walked through the corridors and when he finally went inside the biggest room he noticed Ava leaning over a table. She had one of the new dresses on, a striped one with a white collar. Since he came out she had finally let him start paying for shit and had used the extra money to buy new clothes. When he said he liked her in dresses she had smiled and bought a couple of extra. She told him they were called shift dresses, he didn't give a shit, she looked hot in them. This was nice, followed the curve of her ass and was a bit shorter than the others and ended up in the middle of her thigh

He stood quiet for a while and just looked at her ass as she leaned over the table. Thinking about how he should do this was all it took. He was already hard.

He sneaked up on her and when he was just behind her, he grabbed her hips and pushed himself against her to pin her to the table.

She let out a scream and he licked the side of her neck. "Hey, Babe."

"Shit! You scared me."

He kept kissing her neck and ran his right hand up her side to grab her breast. "Sorry."

She moaned slightly. "Only time you ever say that is when you're not sorry."

When she tried to turn around he pressed her harder against the table and ran his left hand down to her thigh and underneath her dress. He caressed the back of the thigh, stroking carefully up and down before grabbing just underneath he curve of her butt cheek with his fingers brushing the folds between her legs.

"Hap! I need to get all this done before I go home and..." When slipped his hand down the front of her panties she almost fell over and leaned her elbows agains the table. "Oh, shit."

He leaned over her and kissed her neck up to the soft spot underneath her ear. "I remember you saying something about working better after fucking at work." He kept rubbing her.

"Yeah but..."

"And what was it you said you wanted me to do to you in here in government print?"

He reached down with his other hand and started to pull down her panties, still stroking her clit with his finger. She was getting wet. He loved that he could get her all worked up so easy.

"I said that I wanted you to fuck me in the Government Print section." She was moaning now, still leaning her elbows on the table.

"Why?" He said and at the same time he plunged his fingers inside her. He smiled, she was soaking wet.

"Oh God!"

He kept moving his fingers in and out of her while unbuckling his own pants.

"Babe, why did you want me to do that?" She still wasn't answering and he put his dick just to her opening to tease her. "Why?"

"You fucker!" She groaned. "To give me something to smile about."

"That's my girl." He said and pressed himself all the way inside of her.

He took it deliberately slow at first, long, deep thruts and with a whimper she couldn't hold herself up anymore and laid down flat on the talble. Happy grabbed her hips to pull her towards him to get even deeper. He heard her mumble something and he grinned.

Leaning over her, still pumping slowly, he whispered. "What did you say?"

When she didn't answer he stopped moving, leaned his own elbow next to her. "What did you say?"

"Don't stop."

"No, babe. That's not what you said?"

"You are such and ass." She looked up, grabbed his neck and kissed him while pushing herself against him. Her wet walls clamped around his dick and he couldn't hold still. With a groan he started pumping again.

"I fucking love your pussy." He growled in her ear and she turned her head so he could kiss her again. He fucking loved her mouth as well.

"Make me cum." She said and leaned her head at the table again.

He kissed her neck and moved his finger back to her clit. He kept watching her. Her eyes were closed and mouth slightly open, silent moans slipped between her lips now and then. She was so fucking beautiful.

He could both see and feel when she was about to come, he increased the speed and grabbed on to her hips harder. When he felt her cramps he bit down on her shoulder and he noticed her holding her hand over her mouth. That was it, he couldn't hold it longer and stood up to grab a hold of her even harder and slammed into her as hard as possible.

"Oh shit, fucking hell!" He muttered between clamped jaws and released inside her.

He leaned over her and rested his head against her back before kissing her cheek. He saw the slight smile on her lips and she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Can't believe you did that."

"Think you'll work faster now?"

She laughed silently. "If I can walk."

He stepped back and pulled up his pants. She turned around but seemed to still a bit unsteady so he took her panties and put them on her before lifting her up on the table. Standing between her legs he kissed her.

"I'm in kind of a hurry," he realized.

She laughed. "I didn't notice."

"I need the keys to your car, you forgot to leave them when you left it at the garage this morning."

She picked up a set of keyes from the pocked of her dress. "FYI, the keyes were between my leg and the table. That's what I was mumbling."

He stared at her. "Why didn't you just say that when I asked?"

"I like it when you order me around and punnish me when I don't do what you say."

Happy pulled up her dress. The bruises were already formning on her upper thigh just underneath her crow. He looked up at her again and laughed. "Crazy bitch."

She pulled him in for another kiss and gave him the keys. "I'll see you at home."

-o0o-

Tig and Chibs were waiting outside of the library.

"What the fuck took you so long?" Tig said when he came down the stairs.

Happy shrugged and Chibs laughed. "You nailed her, didn't you?"

"None of your business." He put on the helmet and got on his bike.

"Can't fucking believe you got your dick wet and had us waiting for you." Tig was not pleased.

"Could follow me in next time. The receptionist is kind of hot."

"Yeah?" Tig immediately looked happier and tried to watch through the windows. "I'll come with you next time."

Happy just shook his head at Tig. He was about to say that no-one like that would touch a biker when he realized that he just fucked a woman in an expensive dress doggy style in the Government Print section of the library. So obviously, anything was possible.


	7. Bad, Bad Man

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_Quite a few of you have asked about the story of when Ava got pregnant and when they got married. So here it is. I hope you weren't expecting something massively romantic. Happy isn't much for that.  
_

* * *

**Bad, Bad Man**

Happy turned over to look at Ava. She was sleeping next to him, on her side with her back towards him. He ran his hand over her back and she moaned slightly in her sleep, pressing herself towards his hand.

He'd been out for two months and he still had problems sleeping and he wasn't the only one in the house who had. Grace was making noises this night as well and he got out of the bed and went into her room. He wanted to wake her up before she started to scream.

She had tangled herself into her cover and was sweating.

"Sugar." He shook her carefully.

Her small body was shaking and she sat up. "Happy?"

"It's me." He picked her up. She was soaking wet and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Wanna talk about it?" She hardly ever did but he always asked anyway. Just in case.

"No. It was about Jonah." He stroke her hair out of her face, even her hair was wet. Must have been one hell of a nightmare.

Happy went over to her dresser and took a new nightgown. He held her hand as they walked into the bathroom.

"Take a quick shower. I'll change you sheets."

She only nodded and he went to the bedroom to get her new sheets since hers were soaked.

"Happy?" Ava mumbled, she turned around and rubbed her eyes. "Is it Grace?"

"Yeah. Nightmares." He leaned over her and kissed her. "Got back to sleep. I got this."

After changing the sheets he went into the bathroom. Grace was sitting on the toilet with a towel around her.

"I'm cold."

Happy started to rub her over the arms and back. He took another towel from the hook on the door and dried her hair. He finally drew the towel over her face before giving her a kiss.

"Better?"

She nodded and sighed. "I don't want to sleep yet."

"I'll get you a glass of milk and we can watch a movie for a while."

"I'd like that." She finally smiled a little. He took her towel and helped her with the nightgown. "Can we watch Chicken Run?"

"Sure."

He gave her milk, turned on the movie and laid down on his back in the couch with her sitting on his stomach. This was another one of those kids movies he actually kind of liked. There were no stupid songs in it.

-o0o-

When Ava woke up she reached for Happy but he wasn't there. She heard British voices from the living room and it took her a few seconds to recognize them as the voices from 'Chicken Run'.

She ound Happy sleeping on the couch with Grace sleeping on him. He woke up when she picked up Grace.

"I'll take her, get to bed."

He seemed to be waiting for her when she got back to the bedroom.

"She had nightmares."

"I figured." She got down into the bed. "Did you change her sheets?"

"They were soaked." He turned around and put his arm around her. "Got a question."

Surprisingly enough, he seemed nervous. That didn't happen often and she wondered what this was about.

"Ok." He was still quiet and she finally turned towards him and stroke his cheek. She kissed him. "Sometimes it best to just ask." He still didn't say anything. "Want me to close my eyes so I can't see you?"

He looked down at her. "Why would that help?"

"I don't know. Grace sometimes asks me to close my eyes when she wanna ask me things that she's worried or embarrassed about."

"Like when?"

"She asked me about sex and where babies comes from."

Happy laughed a little and kissed her. "What did you say?"

"I'm not telling you. You never tell me what you two say when you talk." Ava moved even closer to him. "So, you want me to close my eyes?"

"No." He kept looking at her. "Would you like to have another kid?"

Ava was stunned, she had not expected that. She wondered where it came from. He hadn't been out for more that two months and... she could think of so many reasons why it would be much too soon to even think about it. She also had a nasty thought in the back of her head, that he wanted a child of his own. She hated herself for even thinking it. All things considered he had been amazing with Grace, from the very beginning and...

He interrupted her trail of thought. "No!"

"What?" She was confused.

"This isn't because I want a kid of my own. It's because I want another one."

She felt ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that about you." She drew her thumb over his mouth. "You don't think it's a bit early? Even if it's been more than a year and a half, we haven't really lived together a huge chunk of that time."

"You sayin' you might leave me?" Happy said and pulled her even closer.

"A kid is a lot of work. They scream, they don't sleep and... it changes things."

"You're saying I might leave you?"

"Any of the two."

"Not going to happen."

"You can't know that."

"I know," he said with a smile and turned her over to her back, resting on top of her. "I make you come hard, you like who you are with me," he kissed her, "and you love me."

Ava moved her hand up to his face and rested them on his cheeks. "Why wouldn't you leave me then?"

"You fucked me up."

"Wow! Thank you, that makes me so much calmer," Ava laughed.

"And I love you." He was playing with her hair and kissed her. "I've never... had this... with anyone." She knew what he meant and kissed him.

"I know. And yes, I do love you too."

"You don't want another kid?"

Ava had thought about it, mainly that if she was to have more children she would want it before Grace was too old. The age difference would be big even now.

"Are you sure about this?"

Happy ran his hands down her sides and was pulling in her underwear. "I'm very sure."

His fingers were between her legs and not much longer after that they had sex. Afterwards the was on his arm.

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't hassle me about this, no questions if my period is late or anything like that. Even if I take out the IUD it might be months until I can get pregnant. And no panic fucks! We have sex because we want to, not to make a baby."

"Ok." He hugged her tighter. "I'll be good."

"You're never good." She kissed his cheek. "You're a cocky bastard."

"You still love me."

"I do, very much."

-o0o-

Happy didn't ask her, not once. She told him that she'd taken out the IUD but that was it. He wanted to ask but did as she had told him. She did have some periods, that was fucking hard to miss.

Grace and him still went on their sessions. He was totally crazy about her. She had so many questions about so many things. He was quite glad she didn't ask _him _about sex though. That would have totally messed with his head. Thinking about Grace and sex was just... wrong. She was his baby girl and she shouldn't be thinking about that. Ever.

He woke up a saturday morning with a horrible fucking hangover. There was no one else in the apartment but Ava had left pills on the counter with a note. _'You smell!'._ He would've laughed if he hadn't been worried that his head might explode if he did.

He took the pills and went back to bed. Something woke him up a couple of hours later but he wasn't sure what. Then he heard the water running in the bathroom and hushed voices. He got up, quite pleased to notice that his head didn't hurt as bad anymore.

Grace and Pete was in the bathroom and they both looked upset. He saw her hand that was in the water stream and she looked up at him with big eyes.

"It won't stop bleeding."

"What? Let me see." She held out her hand and blood was streaming from it. He knew that the water made it look worse than it was but it still freaked him out. He grabbed a towel, knelt down in front of Grace and wrapped her hand with it, trying to dry of the worse. Then he took a closer look. It was a clean cut about an inch long and it was deep. "Grace, who did this to you?"

Happy was going to go get his gun and shoot whoever did this in the stomach and spend the next couple of hours watching the person die in agony. Or just simply go medieval on the fuckers. Grace looked embarrassed.

"Peter."

That was not what he expected so he looked up at Pete and realized that he was standing with his left hand under the water as well. It took him a couple of seconds then he realized what they had done.

"Did you do a blood pact?" Both Grace and Peter nodded. "Let me have a look at yours Pete."

"Rrrr, Pete-rrr!" Grace said. He would never say that, he loved to tease her about it too much. Pete came up to him and showed his hand as well. Happy sighed. "You both need stitches. What did you use to cut yourself with?"

Grace managed to look even more embarrassed. But she didn't say anything, she had her extremely guilty face and kept exchanging glares with Pete who looked equally embarrassed and guilty.

"Sugar, tell me what you used." He wrapped the towel around her hand before picking up another towel for Peter.

"Your knife," she whispered.

He halted and turned around and knelt down in front of her. "Look at me." She turned her eyes to him, her big blue, beautiful eyes. "You can't ever touch that or take things of mine if they can be dangerous." Her eyes fell to the floor again, he raised her face back up to look at him. "You're smart enough to know what can be dangerous." He looked at Pete to include him, "you both are." Pete nodded.

He took the phone form his pocked and made the call.

"_Yes?"_

"Hey, It's Hap. I think both Grace and Pete needs stitches."

"_What did they do?"_

"They cut their hands."

"_Take them to the clubhouse."_

"I don't have a car."

"_I'll pick you up."_

"Thanks, Tara." He knelt down again and noticed the tears in Grace's eyes. Fuck! He hated it when she cried. "Sweetie, there's no need to cry."

She sobbed and his fucking heart broke. He sat down on the toilet and picked her up into his lap. Her arms were around his neck and she rubbed her face agains his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Dad."

His heart stopped for a second and he hugged her even harder. She called him 'dad'. She had never done that and she didn't even seem to realize that she had done it. He wanted to hear her say it again. She was still sobbing into his neck and he stroke her hair.

"It's ok sweetie." He gave her a kiss. "Just don't ever take my things again."

"I won't. I promise. I'm sorry."

"Wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have left it lying around." He felt her nod against his neck. It was his fault as well. He usually made sure that things were stashed away when he went to bed but he hadn't really been aware of much the night before. He got up, still holding her. "Come on, Pete. Tara is picking us up."

Pete looked a bit shook up as well so he took his hand and told them both to wait in the hallway while he got dressed. He was going to have to call Ava too. She would probably get pissed as hell. Mostly at him. Probably only at him.

He took his clothes and cut from the bedroom before walking out in the hallway again. Peter was standing with his arms around the still sniveling Grace. This was killing him, he picked her up again.

"I'm not angry. I promise." She just nodded. "Does it hurt?" Another nod. "Tara will fix it."

As they walked into the clubhouse his phone rang and it was Ava.

"_What happened?" _He assumed that Tara had called her.

"They were doing a blood pact. With my knife." He closed his eyes and waited for the storm.

"_You idiot." _That was all she said in a calm, but very angry, voice. _"I'll call Peter's parents."_

"Tell them to come get him here."

"_I will. And tonight we're having a serious talk about your weapons."_

He sighed, "ok."

He wasn't going to argue about this. He had fucked up, it was his fault and he knew it. Whatever she had coming for him he deserved it.

An hour later Grace and Peter were sitting at a table, both with bandaged left hands and an ice cream in their right hand. Tig came through the door with a big fucking man next to him.

"Dad!" Pete yelled and jumped down from the chair and ran up to the man.

Happy looked at the guy. Jesus fucking christ, he had not expected Pete's dad to look like that. He had met his mom once, a small, kind of pretty woman but he had a hard time connecting either her or Pete to this man. Happy got up and walked up to him.

"Happy, this is my dad."

The man looked at him then extended his hand. "I'm Keith."

"Happy."

"What happened?"

"They took my knife to do a blood pact."

Keith looked at Pete in his arms. "Blood pact?"

"If we shared blood we would be like real brother and sister." Pete explained.

"So what did you learn?"

"To not touch Happy's things and not play with knives." Pete looked like Grace who was standing next to Happy, holding his hand. She still looked ashamed.

"So you've learned something at least. From the looks of it you got to share Grace's blood as well." Keith sad and gave his son a kiss. He looked at Happy and was about to say something when Ava walked through the door.

"Keith! I'm so sorry about this."

"Hey, you got him stitches for free. I know these two, if it hadn't been that knife it would've been some other knife." That was probably true, but any other knife would probably not have been as sharp. Happy kept quiet about that part though.

"Call if there's any problem at all. Tara's giving me some stuff to clean it. I'll bring it by your house tonight."

"Sounds good," Keith smiled then he looked at Happy again. "Keep an eye on those weapons."

"Oh. He will." Ava said with a glare at Happy. Yup, he was in trouble and judging from the snicker Tig let out he knew it too. He was going to hear about this from him as well. Both for being pussy whipped and for getting Grace hurt. He would get shit from all of them about the last part. Piney had already had a go at him and Gemma would probably rip his balls off.

Grace walked up to Ava. "It was my fault too. I took the knife."

"Honey. It wasn't your fault. But don't ever touch Happy's things again."

Keith and Pete left after he and Grace had hugged each other for a long time, whispering things to each other. They did that often. It was very much the two of them against the rest of the world and he wasn't surprised that they'd decided to do a blood pact. They had seen it in some film a couple of weeks before and Grace had talked about it a lot.

Once Pete had gone he picked up Grace again. "I'm not angry at you."

"Promise?" She said with her arms around his neck.

"Promise."

"Will you take me for a ride?"

"Sure." He kissed her cheek. "Love you, kiddo."

"Love you, Happy."

-o0o-

Ava woke up in Grace's bed later the same evening since she fell asleep while reading to her. Someone, she assumed that it was Grace, had given her a blanket and she was sweating profusely. She got out of the bed and went into the bathroom, peeled of all her clothes and got into the shower. While in the shower she tried to brush away the bad taste in her mouth.

She found one of Happy's t-shirts that smelled like him without smelling dirty and she put it on. The TV was on in the living room and she found Happy sloped down in the couch. He gave her a watchful eye. Probably to see if she was pissed, which she was. She was just to tired to argue with him and judging from his attendance to Grace that entire day he felt like shit about it anyway.

She stopped halfway to the couch and looked at him.

"Where's your gun and knife?"

"Top shelf in the wardrobe," he said. "Come here."

"Are you going to try to lure me into your arms and then make me so horny that I forget to be mad?"

He smiled,"something like that."

She glared at him for a while. "Fine. But I'm not done talking to you."

"You can keep talking. If you start nagging I'll just shove my dick into your mouth."

"HAPPY!" She exclaimed and then she laughed. She sat down in his lap. "You're horrible!"

"I already feel like shit about it."

"I know you do." She kissed him. His hand was running up her back, she felt it halt and go back down to her behind.

"You're not wearing any panties."

"No. I just had a shower."

"This is my t-shirt." He pulled in it a little.

"I know."

"You can't borrow it."

"You'll get it back but you need to listen for a while first. You've already told me that when I'm naked all you can think about is my ass and tits."

"All I can think about now is that you're not wearing any panties," he mumbled against her neck. His hand was still underneath her t-shirt and he grabbed her breast.

"Aoch, careful."

He leaned back and looked at her. "Did that hurt?"

"They're a bit tender."

"Need to tell you something." His hand was back at her breast and his thumb was circling her nipple. Even that hurt so she pulled his hand down. He gave her a strange look. "Did that hurt too?"

"Just tell me."

"Grace called me dad." He had the same look on his face as when he once told her that Grace had said she loved him the first time. "I don't think she knew she was saying it but I liked it."

"I bet you did." She leaned forward and kissed him. "I like it too."

She moved around and straddled him and put her arms around his neck.

"I'm still on the no panties." He pulled up the t-shirt a bit to look underneath it.

"Horny bastard." His hands went up to her breasts again and she winched.

"What the fuck! What's wrong with your tits?"

She took a deep breath. This was as good time as any. "I'm pregnant."

Happy stared at her for a long time. It looked like he was in a slight panic then he finally smiled. "You are?"

She allowed herself to breath again. "Yes. Did a test this morning and a tried to wake you up but you were kind of out of it."

He kissed her before suddenly stopping to have another look at her. "Wait! What the fuck does that have to do with your tits?"

"They get tended because I'm pregnant."

"They're going to be like that until you pop out the kid?"

"No, I don't think so," she laughed because he looked really worried. "And it's not going to 'pop out', I assure you."

"Good, I love your tits!" He was so focused on them, he hadn't even heard her second comment.

"Want your t-shirt back now?"

"Oh, yes. I'm going to fuck my pregnant Old Lady." He had a huge smile on his lips now. He leaned back and looked at her again, stroking her face. "How are you doing?"

"I feel sick quite a lot, a heartburn that's horrible and I'm really tired."

"Why didn't you say something? You must've had a hunch."

"I wanted to be sure." She hugged him. "I didn't want to get your hopes up or scare you half to death."

"Why would I be scared?"

"Don't even try, you panicked for a second."

Happy looked at her, his beautiful girl. He took off the t-shirt and leaned her backwards. She was fucking stunning naked in his lap.

He had panicked for a second and he wasn't sure why. But he wanted the baby. He pulled her in for a proper kiss.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He stood up, still holding her and carried her towards the bedroom.

Later, when she was lying all sweaty on his arm he moved his hand over her stomach. "We're not going to name the kid after someone in that shit movie."

She turned and looked at him. "Oh, yes we are. But there are no good names among the actors left so we're going for the characters."

"No, we're not."

"Yes. It's a Eloise or a Leon."

"Wanna bet on that?"

She got up on top of him, straddled him and looked him straight into the eyes. "I'm going to be sick, have a heartburn, my feet are going to swell up, I'll be fat as hell, have an aching back and just in general feel shitty for about eight more months. This kid is a Leon or a Eloise. Any questions on that?"

He pulled her down closer to his face. "Bitch!" Then he kissed her.

-o0o-

Grace was sitting next to him on the bench. He had wanted to be the one to do this but he was still a bit worried.

"I have something to tell you."

Grace turned her head and looked at him. "Something good?"

"I think you'll like it."

"Tell me!" She said with a huge smile on her lips.

"You're gonna be a big sister."

At first her smile got even bigger and then he saw it. The thing he had been waiting for. The very same thing that had gone through Ava's head when he had asked her. Grace looked down on the ground.

"You and mom are having a baby?"

He wanted to hug her but Grace needed to do things at her own speed and she needed to figure out how to ask him this herself. He didn't want to mention it first. If he said to her that she was their kid as well it would just show her that he had thought about it.

"Yes."

She made and attempt to smile when she looked at him. "What do you hope it is?"

"A boy. Already got a daughter." He could see it took her a few seconds and the she smiled for real. She got it. He knew she would.

"I'd like that. A baby brother." She looked up at him and took his hand. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, Sugar."

"Are you going to be with her when she gives birth?"

Oh, fuck! He hadn't thought about that part. How the fuck could he have not thought about that? He had no problem with torturing someone but to watch Ava in pain for hours, that would get to him. Without a doubt.

"Eh, yeah. I'll be there with her." He finally picked her up and hugged her. "Will you wait outside? So you can welcome the kid right away?"

"Can I?"

"Of course. You need to get to know the kid, so you can protect it, be the best big sister in the world."

"I will! I'm gonna take such good care of it!"

"I know you will." She might not be capable of taking care of a pet but she was really good with Jax's kids, always playing with them. Just like the older kids were really nice to her. The kids in the club really did take good care of each other. He had never noticed that before, on the other hand he had never taken much notice of the kids before Grace.

-o0o-

Happy was carrying the sleeping Grace inside the apartment. He was pissed as hell but not at her. The place was quiet so Ava was probably sleeping, she was usually out like a light around nine. She was really tired and her tits were still hurting.

He put Grace in her bed. He didn't give a shit about Ava's rule about brushing the teeth right now. Her hand had heeled up and she was quite proud of the scar that both she and Pete had. She hadn't called him dad again but he wasn't too worried, she had done it once as a reflex, it would come back again.

Ava was in the couch sleeping. He knelt down next to her and moved the book and stroke his hand over the still flat belly. She inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.

"I fell asleep."

"I can see that."

She sat up and moved her legs so he sat in between them. "What's wrong?"

"Who says something's wrong?"

"I am." Her hands was run along his jaws and she was following the right hand with kisses. "So tell me."

"Gemma was on my ass about Grace today."

"About Grace?"

"That I should adopt her, as if some fucking paper would make a difference."

Ava was quiet. She just kept kissing him gently, he usually loved it when she did this to him. This time he was more disturbed by the fact that she didn't say anything.

"You think it would make a difference?" It was pissing him off that she didn't say something about it.

"Not to me, or Grace or you. But it makes a difference to the rest of the world. If anything should happen to me..."

He didn't want to hear anything like that. "Nothing is going to happen to you!"

"Happy..."

"No! Nothing is fucking going to happen to you!"

"Please..."

"No, I'm not going to listen to this shit." Happy got up and walked towards the bathroom.

Nothing was fucking going to happen to Ava. He didn't want to think about that shit. He locked himself into the bathroom. He knew it was childish but he needed a few seconds without her watching him. He couldn't handle her watching him when he was upset like this. Nothing was going to happen to her. He would make damn sure about that!

He was brushing his teeth when he heard the knock on the door.

"Honey, please open the door."

Happy sighed and unlocked the door. He immediately went back to the basin and didn't even look at her. Ava came up behind him and put her arms around his waist.

"She's my kid," he finally said.

"I know that, honey, and she knows that too. I'm just scared that the Richardsons would get her."

That hit him like a sledgehammer. He could loose both of them. When he turned around he hugged her hard.

"Would it even be possible for me to adopt her?" He had a record, had done time.

"I don't know. I didn't even want to bring it up because I knew you would be pissed."

"So you asked Gemma?"

"I might have mentioned it."

"Sneaky bitch." He tilted her head back and kissed her. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"I know. That glare could probably stop the lightning from striking down on me."

He held her face and looked into her golden eyes. "You need to fucking stay ok."

"I love you."

"Good." He kissed her again. Just the thought of something happening to her made him feel sick. Then he realized something. "You'll need to marry me you know."

"I think I can live with that."

"Yeah? You'll be Mrs. Lowman." He liked the thought of that. She'd be his wife. She'd be his in every fucking way possible.

"Then you definitely would have to adopt Grace cause I won't have a different name than my daughter."

"I know. I want her to be a Lowman too."

"So we'll start by getting married and I'll call Ally Lowen for the adoption."

"I'll talk to Grace." He held Ava for a while. She'd be his wife and Grace would really be his kid. "Ill talk to mom as well. She'll love it."

-o0o-

"I just want you to understand that it's a minor fucking miracle that I pulled this off." Gemma was still nagging about it.

"I know, Gemma. Thank you so much." Ava had already thanked her many times that day. And the days before. She had said sorry about as many times as thank you. Gemma was really pissed.

"Two weeks!" She yelled. "You couldn't give me more time than that?"

"You've done a great job"

"It's not very romantic you know. Doing it like this."

"We're not very romantic people." An extravagant wedding wasn't their style. They would've both hated it. Even this was a bit over the top but Gemma had been so pissed about the short time she had and Ava didn't want to upset her anymore than necessary.

She was very grateful when Clark came in. That would make Gemma go a little easier on her.

"You look beautiful." He gave her a hug.

"Thank you."

Ava took another look in the mirror. It was a simple dress, straight, with thin straps and in lace.

Happy had talked to Grace about the adoption. She'd said that she wanted him to do it because it meant he had to marry Ava and that she'd get his name. She wanted to have Happy's name and the same name as her sibling.

Clark gave her away and afterwards the only thing she could remembered from the ceremony was Happy's eyes when she said 'I do'.

He hadn't made a big thing of the wedding and basically said he saw it as something he had to do to adopt Grace and that they should just make sure it was done as soon as possible. But those eyes told her differently. He loved that she had just promised to be his until the day one of them died. It thrilled him. He would never admit and it didn't matter. She had seen it. He wanted her to be all his, in all ways possible. That's what that look was about.

He did say that thing though. That had been his only demand. He looked right at her with a smirk on his lips and said he'd "treat her as good as his leather and ride her as much as his Harley".

When she found him on a chair later that evening he was pretty damn drunk. He pulled her down into his lap.

"You didn't promise me anything."

"Sure I did."

"What did you promise me?"

"That I'd take you as my lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do us part."

"You just said 'I do'."

"Not good enough?"

"No, promise me more."

She stroke his jaws and kissed him. "Ok. I promise that I'll love you always and I'll kiss you everyday."

"And?"

"And... I'll never, ever yell at you." He pulled her hair and kissed her neck. "How drunk are you planning on getting tonight?"

"Why?"

"Just trying to figure out if I'll get laid tonight."

"You'll get laid. Don't worry about it."

"It'd be the first time you fuck a wife."

"First time I fuck _my _wife at least," he said with a smirk on his lips.

"Bad, bad man," she laughed. "I'll hold you to that. You better stay sober enough to fuck me."

"I will. I'll ride you like my Harley."

"Don't ever say that again."

He laughed at her and kissed her again. "Ok. That'll be my last promise to you today."

-o0o-

Happy came home in the middle of the night. One of the good things with having Jax in the club was that he had small kids and usually wanted to get home as soon as possible. So he and Jax was the two who bailed out before the party most of the time. He didn't want to be away anymore than necessary right now.

He took a quick look at Grace, she was sleeping soundly. She still had nightmares sometimes but it wasn't as often anymore.

Ava was sleeping as well. She had one pillow under her head, two under her arm and two under the leg that was in front of her. Basically; she had all the fucking pillows. He pulled in the pillows underneath her leg.

"Hey, fatso," he mumbled in her ear. "Wanna give me some pillows?"

She mumbled something and held on to the pillows even tighter.

He laid down behind her, an arm around her huge stomach and bit down in her earlobe. "Fatso?"

"Asshole!" She mumbled and turn around. "It's not nice to call your pregnant wife 'Fatso'."

He loved hearing her refer to herself as his pregnant wife.

"If you take all the pillows I'll call you whatever I like."

"You weren't here. I need all pillows or you to be able to sleep comfortably." He felt her putting her leg around his. "I had your pillow between my legs so it might smell of my pussy."

"Nice," he mumbled when he picked up the pillows and put them under his head.

"Thought you'd like that."

He was on his back, she was on his arm with her legs over his and her huge belly against his side. He could actually feel the kid kicking against him. Very freaky feeling but he liked it. He reached down to stroke it and Ava kissed his chest.

"Did it all go well?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow."

"Jax wanted to get home to the kids so I tagged along."

"Admit it; you missed me."

"I did. There's so much of you to miss."

Her due date was two weeks away and he was nervous, not that he would admit that to fucking anyone.

Ava noticed that Happy was still awake and he didn't seem to even try to relax.

"What's wrong?"

He turned his head and looked at her. "Nothing. Can feel the kid."

"I'll be fine."

"I know you will."

"You don't have to be there with me."

"Yes I do."

"You should've followed me to one of the classes then."

"Think any of those fancy moms would've been able to relax with me in there?" He had read the brochure, it guaranteed a 'relaxing environment'. He didn't provide that.

Ava laughed. "Probably not." She pulled him down for a kiss. "Think you could rub my back a little."

"If you rub my dick later."

"Might change my mind if you're up for that. If you fuck me you could get this shit started."

"Are you making shit up to get laid?" He laughed and moved around and put his arms around her. "Cause you don't have to do that. Just fucking ask me."

"Not making it up." She licked his chest and raked her teeth over his collarbone. "And I'm asking."

"Turn around, Babe."

She did as he asked and he moved his hand to her breasts, stroking hem carefully. Then moved it down her side, over her belly and in between her legs.

"You're sexy even when you're fat."

"That's not how you get me going."

"I know. I'll get you going. Don't worry."

And he was so right. He could get her going just by standing in a corner in the same room as her if he wanted to.

He entered her from behind, her leg hooked over his and kept kissing her neck even nibbling on it now and then. As they both got closer he moved up, straddling her leg with the other one over his leg, fucking her as she was still on her side. He leaned over her and kissed her, thrusting into her and she came, hard. He came just after her.

When he moved down behind her he was still inside her.

"I like that position."

"Know you do." He hugged her tight. "You like all positions."

"Yeah, I do. I used to be such a nice girl."

"You're still a nice girl. Just ended up in bad company."

"Bad ass biker husband." She was spinning his ring as she said it. She wasn't sure why it mattered that they were married. But it did. He was her husband.

"Go to sleep, Babe."

She turned around to get comfortable and fell asleep holding him.

-o0o-

Happy woke up and realized he was alone in the bed. How she managed to sneak out without him noticing he couldn't for the life of him figure out. She usually flopped around in the bed like a seal before she managed to get out. He had pointed that out and that had earned him one of the meanest looks she'd ever given him. As an excuse he had fucked her very properly. That was one of the main reasons he teased her, she usually demanded a fuck as an excuse. At first he thought she was in the bathroom. She was up four or five times a night to pee, equally annoyed every time. Then he heard strange noises from the living room, like panting.

He found her in the couch, she was breathing funny.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She didn't answer and just looked at him while still breathing funny. He stared at her and she finally stopped.

"I think I'm in labor." She said with her eyes closed.

Happy stared at her for a while. Then it hit him.

"Shouldn't we go to the hospital or something?"

"No. Not yet. Come and lay down next to me."

"Sure? I mean. Should you really do this at home?" He would very much prefer her at a hospital with people who knew about this.

"Come on," she insisted.

So he did. He was nervous as hell but he wasn't going to show her that. And as far as giving birth was considered he'd do whatever the fuck she told him to do. He laid down next to her. Rubbed her belly or her back when she was in labor and kept an eye on the watch to see how far apart they were.

"You should call Gemma so she can be with Grace at the hospital." She said about an hour later.

He nodded and got out of the couch to find his phone.

-o0o-

Six hours later Happy was wondering how fucking long this would take. Ava was still calm, as always. He had called Gemma a couple of times and she said that Grace was walking around in the hospital and that she was fine. She also said he should focus on his fucking wife. So he did.

Another four long fucking hours later, Ava was soaked in sweat, she hadn't said a single word in quite some time and just kept breathing.

"Ava, you're fully dilated now. Next contraction I want you to push," the midway said it that annoyingly perky voice

Ava grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. "Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere." He felt like running out of there like a bat outta hell. This was freaking him out and watching her in pain without being able to do shit about it was messing with his head. He had never in his entire fucking life felt so useless.

To make it even worse, she didn't look calm anymore. She had panic in her eyes and was staring at him, squeezing his hand.

Her eyes grew wider and then she closed them and pushed.

"That's a good girl, Ava. Keep pushing." The midwife said, still in the perky tone he hated and he knew Ava hated it as well. "More, more. Come on, honey, you're doing great."

Then Ava took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Happy had no idea what he was supposed to do. He stroke her forehead and kissed her.

"It's not much left. I can see the head." The doctor looked up at Happy. "Wanna see it?"

"No!" Ava said and held his hand harder. "Stay here with me. I need you." Probably to have something to focus on rather than the overly perky bitch midwife.

"I'll stay." He mumbled and leaned his head next to hers. "You're amazing, Babe," he whispered in her ear.

She gave him a tired smile and then he could see on her that another contraction was coming. He grabbed her hand harder and watched her push. Her chin was down against her chest and she was grabbing on to the side of the bed with her other hand. Fucking hell, he would do anything to be anywhere but here. This was fucking killing him. That was his girl and she was in pain. He stroke her hair with his free hand and pressed his lips at her temple.

Suddenly she screamed and then her entire body went lax.

He panicked and turned to the nurse to see what the fuck just happened. It was just in time to see her pull out a small, slimy and slightly bloody baby out of his wife.

"Here it is," she smiled. Then she proceeded by sticking her finger in its mouth, laid it over the arm and rubbed it's back. Happy was about to throw a punch at her for manhandling his kid like that. "Come on, let me hear your lounges," she mumbled. And it screamed.

"Let me have it." Ava had a tired voice but when he looked at her she smiled. She was reaching out for the baby and the nurse laid it on Ava's chest. Ava stroked it's head while laughing with tears streaming down her face. "Welcome, little one."

She carefully lifted it up and Happy choked. "It's a boy." He leaned down and kissed Ava. "I love you."

She smiled, the most stunning fucking smile he'd ever seen on her, "I love you too."

"Would the dad like to cut the cord?"

Happy didn't even look up from the position he had next to Ava's head, just looking at the boy. "No." Why the fuck would he want to do that? He wanted to look at his boy and kiss his wife. Not play around with scissors.

He carefully stroke the baby's head. He was about to fucking loose it and wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to step out of the room for a few seconds but he didn't want to leave Ava or the baby.

"I want him to take the baby to our daughter. She's waiting in the family room. Could you let him do that?"

"Sure. I just need to have a look at him and then we'll make him presentable." The nurse smiled and took the baby.

"Why does she need to do that?"

"They do something called a apgar score one and five minutes after the baby is born," Ava explained when the midwife had taken the baby. "It's nothing to worry about."

She stroke his cheek and he turned to look at the baby. "He's perfect."

"He is." Ava mumbled and he turned and kissed her again.

Happy was still about to loose it and he was getting anxious.

"Mr. Lowman." The midwife smiled and handed him the boy. "Go and show him to his big sister and we'll deliver the placenta." He didn't need to know that.

He looked at the package in his arm. He was so little and looked back at him with big dark eyes. Happy knew he had about five seconds to get the fuck out of there and walked to the door. His vision was blurry but he found a chair in the hallway and sat down. He had fucking tears in his eyes and no one would be allowed so see that! Ever!

He dried his eyes and looked down at the boy again. Leon. That would be his name, Ava wouldn't back down on that and after today she could call him whatever the hell she wanted. She had been amazing, he was just ridiculously proud of his wife.

He gave himself about five minutes and when it felt like he was holding it together again he got up to find Grace.

She was sitting on a couch next to Gemma and broke into huge smile when she saw him. Happy walked up to her and knelt down in front of her. "Wanna meet your baby brother?"

He hadn't thought it was possible but her smile got even wider. "I have a baby brother," she mumbled and Happy put Leon in her arms. "He's very pretty." She leaned down and kissed him.

"He's beautiful." Gemma smiled.

"Hi." Grace was talking to the baby. "I'm your big sister Grace and I'm gonna take real good care of you. I'm gonna be the best big sister in the world." She mumbled against his cheek.

Gemma left them for a while, probably to give them space and he appreciated it.

"His name is Leon."

Grace looked at him. "I think Lemmy is a better name."

"You're probably right but your mom deserves to name him."

"I don't like it."

"It's a nice name." Happy had gotten used to it over the months and it was at least better than the girl-name she had picked.

Grace looked at the baby again. "You have a silly name but you're really pretty anyway." She told her brother with a very serious face. She kissed him again. "I love you."


	8. Jax beat you at your own game today

_**CupKatyCakes** asked for a One Shot with Jax, something cute, and I swear to God, that was my intention but as so often, when I put two characters together the conversation turns into something I hadn't expected._

_Thing is; Jax and Grace hasn't been portraid as being very close. And when I was going to get them to know each other... well, two smart people in a room, one much older and more experienced. Shit happens. I still liked it and thought it was worth posting. It also explains some comments from Jax about Grace that comes much further ahead in Crooked Rain. Still handing out those online cookies to my faithful readers _;-D

_Another A/N at the end, nothing big but I don't want to ruin the read._

* * *

**Jax beat you at your own game today**

"Jax?"

"Yeah."

Jax was next to a bike and had somehow been put on babysitting detail despite being the fucking president. He'd been cut in the leg a few days earlier and by orders of Tara he was supposed to rest. That's why he was now in the garage with a very quiet teenage girl.

He looked over at Grace who was sitting on a work bench with a book in her lap. She was fourteen but Hap didn't want her running around alone with all the shit that was going on. Wasn't anything major but when it came to his kids Hap was very protective. Extremely protective. Overprotective to be honest.

"Where's Abel and Thomas?"

He turned back to the bike. "At home."

"Sorry you got stuck with me. Not like I really need a sitter, just dad's overprotective drive again."

He looked over at her again and smiled. "Nothing to be sorry about hon'. I like it."

She met his eyes and gave him a crooked smile. "You're a lousy liar but thanks for trying."

He was a lot of things but a lousy liar wasn't one of them. He took a closer look at her. Hap had called her a living lie-detector and Jax had assumed he was just boosting his kid. But that comment made him wonder. She'd been around a lot but he hadn't gotten to know her that well. Sure, he'd written her those letter when he was inside but to him that had mostly been one more way to keep in contact with Abel.

When she looked up at him again, still with a smile he noticed those eyes again. This was a smart kid and for the first time he wondered why she stayed clear of him. She had most of the other guys wrapped around her fingers but she'd never even tried with him. He was starting to suspect that he knew why.

He sat down on the chair in front of her. "Wanna tell me why you're not trying to charm the shit outta me like you've done with the others?"

"Aww, feeling overlooked?" She said with her head tilted to the side. When he didn't fall for it she sighed. "I'm not really charming them. I think they just miss their own kids and took me on me as a substitute." She shrugged. "You and Ope have your kids. Juice used to be like a kid and he's still all in his own family life."

She was right. The ones she was closest to was the ones that had kids that was pretty much out of their life. Bobby was still in contact with Tiki but Precious was running that show. Gemma wanted a granddaughter and saw her chance in Grace. There was one of them that didn't fit in however.

"And Piney?"

She looked up at him and shrugged again. "Not sure." This is why she'd been avoiding him. Only thing was, the more obvious it became that she had been avoiding him on purpose and that she now was trying to dodge some topics, the more curious he got.

"You're not the only one who can spot a lie, sweetheart." She closed the book and put it next to her on the workbench. "Make you a deal, hon'. You tell me your theory and I promise I won't tell anyone."

It didn't really matter what her theory was and it was a promise that probably wouldn't take that much to keep. This was mostly him satisfying his own curiosity.

"Promise?" She looked him straight into the eyes.

"I promise."

With a nod she took a deep breath. "He took Jonah to the cabin when they caught him at our place. He probably heard him talking about me and I think he felt sorry for me at first. Then he just started to like me." Jax could practically feel his jaw hit the floor. How the fuck did she knew about that? "You promised!"

"I know." He cleared his throat. "You knew they took him up to the cabin?"

"I assumed that's what they did. Nowhere else to take him."

Jax's head was spinning. This was not really what he had expected when he agreed to babysit earlier. "And what do you think happened?"

"Dad killed him." She didn't say it in a nonchalant way, she looked him right in the eyes when she did and she didn't flinch.

"He told you that?" Hap was a badass fuck in a lot of ways but telling a kid you killed her father seemed crazy even for him.

"No. I figured it out and asked him."

"How?" That was the only thing he could think of asking. Then something else hit him. "When?"

"When we were in that first lockdown, just after mom had been attacked." She was six fucking years old then! "Ever time Jonah had found us before we moved. We didn't move and mom was... calm, she didn't worry anymore."

There was something in her eyes that caught Jax attention. "And?"

"It said so on his chest."

'I live, I die, I kill for my family'. That's what Hap had tattooed along his neckline. He took an even closer look at Grace and it hit him why she was avoiding this. He wasn't her mom or dad with preconceived notions about what their daughter would and wouldn't do. More importantly, he was better at this than she was. And those tearful, guilty eyes told him that she both wanted and not wanted him to ask.

"You knew he would."

She was still looking at him and with an almost relived sigh she answered. "I wasn't sure but when mom didn't... she didn't do the things we usually did I figured... And when Gemma gave me that phone she said that I had to call her or Dad and they'd take care of it."

"You're a smart one."

She looked up and smiled at him while drying her eyes. "Takes one to know one. And you're smarter than me."

That made him laugh out loud. "You think I'm smart?"

"I knew you'd figure it out. That's why I made you promise." She was still drying her eyes and then she sighed. "Piney knew too."

Jax nodded. Piney had been a smart guy and Piney wasn't the kind of guy who had preconceived notions about _anyone_. He knew people would do pretty much anything it took to stay alive. Grace probably wanted someone alive who knew. Jax knew better than anyone how shit like that could weigh you down and just telling someone, knowing that someone else knew and didn't judge you could make a huge difference.

"And your mom and Hap?"

"Mom might but dad would've asked me about it if he did."

Then something else hit Jax. "It wasn't your fault, you know that, right?" But she didn't answer him. "It's not like you ordered a hit on him. You saved your mom the only way you could. Anything after that wasn't up to you anymore."

"I know." She gave him a tiny smile. "This is why I haven't tried to 'charm the shit outta you'."

Her trying to imitate his voice made him laugh as much as the comment. "Because I'd call you out on your shit?"

"Yes. You're good with people and you see through them the way I do and Piney did. But you're better at it."

"So if I asked about your opinion on what I think about people, what would you say?" He asked mostly for fun to. To make her feel better and think about something else.

"You still don't fully trust Tig."

She stunned him again since she didn't even have to think about it. She'd noticed it long before he asked. "And your dad?"

"You do now. You weren't sure before but he was always on you side you know."

"How the hell does a kid become like you?" He shook his head.

"Dad says it's a combination of genetics and surroundings. I'm smart like my mom and the way we used to live I had to figure out who to trust quickly. I'm guessing you got better at stuff like this after your dad died."

There was probably some truth to that but she wasn't more than fourteen and she seemed to avoid most people except the ones in the club. And Peter of course. Hap was worried about that but Jax was pretty damn sure he didn't have to. Peter was most likely gay.

He'd thought it was a bit funny at first, Hap playing dad but he'd quickly noticed that it wasn't Hap just _playing_ dad to get into the mom's pants. He was dead serious about it and they were very close. Those 'weekly sessions' was impressive and he'd tried something similar with Thomas and Abel.

"He really tells you everything, doesn't he?"

"No. Not everything but he's always honest with me." She gave him one more of those shy smiles. "And he talks to me the way you do."

"How do I talk to you?"

"Like I'm not just a kid but he did it already when I was six." She eyed him again. "But you're going to tell him about this talk. Aren't you?"

"Some of it."

She nodded. "I know it wasn't really my fault. It just feels like it sometime." Her eyes were getting shiny again. "And I dream about it. That he says it's my fault."

"Your dad?"

"No. Happy is my dad. Jonah." She said it with such determination that he felt bad about it.

"Sorry." She didn't reply, only nodded.

"You're good at this," she said after a few moments of silence.

"At what?"

"Making people talk."

"So's your dad."

"He hits them to make them talk. I mean like this, luring it out."

This chick had shocked him more times than anyone else had in a long time, all in less than twenty minutes. He laughed again. Girl sure knew her dad.

'Luring it out', he had gotten a lot better at that over the years. He wondered what a girl like Grace would be like when she grew up. Judging by what she looked like now and how beautiful her mom was she'd be stunning and smart. Much like Tara was. She didn't look fourteen yet but she'd always looked younger than she was. She was starting to look less like a kid though and Hap would probably be a very busy dad in just a few years.

"If Piney was around I'd talk to him instead of Hap if thats what you wanted. Piney really got you, didn't he?"

"Yes. But not because we talked. He was just there." She eyed him again. Like she was trying to figure something else out. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He was mostly curious to what she would ask and that's why he agreed to it. She had a very determined look on her as if she didn't really want to ask but felt forced. This should be something special.

"Did you kill Clay because he killed Piney?"

Jax was utterly speechless for quite a while. There was no end to it with her. "Hap told you that?"

"No." Another one of her smiles but it was a sad one. "I figured it out."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"I think we've already established that I'm not stupid."

"Didn't ask Hap?"

"No. He wouldn't have told me anyway. I loved Piney and when he died..."

Jax knew that Hap had been really worried about her. Apparently she'd hardly eaten or slept for quite some time after Piney's death.

"Listen..."

"I don't need any details. I just want to know that he..."

"...was avenged. Don't worry about it." She knew what he meant by that. He'd killed Clay. Well, actually, Opie killed Clay and Hap cleaned it up. "How did you know it was Clay?"

That wasn't known to anyone outside the club. They'd kept it silent to not cause problems in the other charters. Just dealt with it.

"I figured it out." She said again and did another one of those teenage shrugs.

"Don't try, hon'. How did you know?" He needed to know since he wanted to know if they'd fucked up.

"You and Ope glared at him at Piney's funeral and then you distanced yourself from him even more. And Bobby did too. Tig was a bit off for a while and then I think he made up his mind. Probably after Clay beat up Gemma."

"You knew about that too?"

"Who else would dare to beat her up? Also, dad came home really late one night and seemed very off. The day after they found Clay dead."

"Do you know why he killed Piney?"

"No." She studied him again. "And you're not going to tell me." He shook his head. "It's ok. Probably better that way."

"Absolutely better that way."

If she'd been the silent type he would've probably realized that Hap wasn't just bragging but she really lived up to that nickname, Sunshine, and was always talking to everyone and he'd written her off as just another whimsy teenage girl with a very proud dad.

"I'm gonna have to talk to Hap about some of this. I know I promised..."

"I know. And I knew you would."

"Then why did you ask me?"

"Just wanted to see if you meant it. Besides, you broke a promise so now you owe me a favor."

"Been watching 'The Godfather' lately?" He laughed and continued laughing when she held up the book she was reading. It was 'The Godfather'. "Collecting debts?"

"Something like that."

They both heard the bikes and jumped as if they were caught in the middle of something completely forbidden. She looked at him and smiled.

"I'll keep some of it out of the conversation." She nodded and jumped down from the bench and started to walk outside. "Hey, Sunshine! Got a hug for me?"

Smart kid like that was worth keeping close. Also; he admired her and now he knew what all the fuss was about; she was a very special kid. But with her latest comments he decided to let the part where she felt guilty about her dad slip. He'd bring that up with Hap some other time. The Clay / Piney thing was much more important now. And he owed her one. He wanted to pay her back and this was one of the most interesting and surprising conversations he'd had in a while.

She turned around and walked up to him. "Thank you."

Hap walked in and got a hug and a kiss from Grace. "All good, Sugar?"

"Yeah." She looked over her shoulder at him. "I think Jax wants a word with you."

Hap looked up at him too and frowned. "Ok?"

Happy watched Grace as she ran up to Bobby and was caught in a big hug. He wondered what the hell she'd been doing now.

"She in trouble?"

"We had a... talk." Jax laughed a little. "I knew she was smart but..."

He'd hear that opening a couple of times before and sighed. "Fuck! What did she figure out this time?"

"That Clay killed Piney and that we offed Clay."

Hap sighed. It would be nice if she stayed out of trouble at least once in a while and why the fuck did she tell Jax and not him that? "She won't tell anyone."

"I know. I'm not worried about that." Jax lit a smoke. "That girl got her smarts from her mom and the loyalty from you."

It would've been interesting to hear their 'talk'. Two really smart people who could read others like few could. Must've been a real battle of the minds. He wasn't surprised that Grace lost, she was good but she wasn't Jax. He probably played her like a fucking piano.

"What else did she say?"

"Just that she'd figure out early on that you killed Jonah." Jax gave him a smile. She sure had. Didn't take her long at all.

"How come she asked you about Clay?" It bugged him like hell that she hadn't asked him about it.

"She knew I'd tell her the truth and she said _you_ wouldn't have."

"I wouldn't. Why did you?"

"I owed her." Jax said with a strange smile. "Make sure she know that's why."

Happy sighed again. "I'll make sure." He looked at Jax again and wondered if Grace really wasn't in trouble. "So she's ok?"

"I know she won't talk about it. She's smart and she just wanted to make sure that Piney'd been avenged. She really loved the old man."

Happy nodded. He should've known it was about that and nothing else. Going directly to the prez was smart of her too. None of the others would've told her shit about it and Jax was the only one who could make that decision. She'd been around the club enough to know how it worked.

"The others can download you the info. I'll take her for a ride."

"Do that."

He walked out and found Grace in the bar. "Come on, Sugar. We're going for a ride."

She just nodded and followed him outside. He took her to their spot and they sat down.

"Jax said to tell you that he told you the truth cause he owed you."

He could see her mind run and then she smiled and almost annoyed smile. "Damn!" She laughed. "He got me!"

"Gonna tell me what he did for you?"

"No." She said and had her mom's smile. "Don't worry about it."

"You should've asked me."

"You wouldn't have told me the truth. You're still trying to protect me but I've know what you are since I was six. How far you're prepared to go."

He looked at her and hugged her close to him. "Doesn't mean you need to hear shit like that. You _shouldn't_ hear shit like that."

"Then you shouldn't have put it permanently on your skin."

"Wasn't counting on showing it to a kid."

"Didn't see kids in your future?"

"No." He shook his head with a smile. He had not seen any kids in his future what so ever. He had decided early on that it wasn't for him. "Took a special one to change my mind."

"I am rather fabulous."

"Don't let it get to your head." He kissed her. "Remember; Jax beat you at your own game today."

"I knew he would if we ever got to it."

"Only thing you never get is when guys are hitting on you." He laughed. She never noticed and she was still too young for guys her age to have figured out that game. Thankfully.

"Don't think they do that."

"Oh, they do. You just don't notice it."

"And I'm guessing you scare them away before I do."

"Oh, yeah." He was making very sure that none of them got even the slightest glimmer of hope to get anywhere near her.

"Doesn't matter yet."

"Yet?" He looked at her. "Got your eye on someone?" He tried to say it in a light manner but he was about to choke.

"I'm fourteen, dad. I'd have to be dead to not have my eye on someone." She tried to say it in a light manner as well. He knew her better than that but he let it slide. She lost at this once today and probably needed to get away with something. So he simply gave her another kiss.

"It'll be fine, honey." Hopefully it was quite some time left until it really became an issue.

"Thanks for everything today." She put her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "Am I ok with the club too?"

"Sure you are. You knew what you were doing." Jax might have played her like a piano but he had to give it to her; she'd found out what she wanted too. He wondered what she had to give up to get that and had a feeling that's what Jax had 'owed' her. Something Jax hadn't told him.

"Kind of did. If he didn't want me to know he wouldn't have told me. If he told me it should be ok."

"Should isn't really enough when you're playing around with this shit, Sugar. So keep calm from now on and ask me instead."

"Ok."

"Wanna ask me about Piney or Clay?"

"Would you tell me anything?" She said with a raised, skeptical eyebrow.

"Probably not."

"I don't need to know the details anyway. Piney was a friend and I loved him. I wanted to make sure that someone gave a shit."

"We all did, Honey."

She nodded. "Dad?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Think Jax is mad at me?"

"No. He's not. He's very impressed."

Her smile grew bit. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Another thing."

"What?"

"Think you can stop asking the guys to babysit me? I'm fourteen. It's embarrassing. For me _and _for them."

He sighed. It had been some shit going on but nothing major. And she was right, she was fourteen. "Fine. But you need to call me all the fucking time."

He could also ask Bobby to keep baking things for her, that would keep the fourteen year old sweet tooth at the fucking clubhouse.

* * *

_Some of you have asked how Clay and Piney died and I simply 'borrowed' that from the series. Obviously pushing it forward quite a few years. It's not a major thing in the actual story even if it will have some meaning to Grace later on._


	9. A Good Wife Talks

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX_

_Yet another one. This one takes place before the previous one with the "Jax talk" but Piney has recently died so Grace is 14._

_And about the things I mentioned in the last One Shot with Piney and Clays death. You'll find out more in Crooked Rain.  
_

_As always: Let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much for Reviews, Favs and Follows._

* * *

**A Good Wife Talks**

Grace rang the doorbell and hoped that he was at home. Once it opened and she saw Peter she started to cry. She usually didn't but this was so wrong. She shouldn't be _here _with _him. _She wanted Piney.

"Pixie! What's wrong?"

"I had a fight with dad and a usually go to..." She couldn't even say his name out loud.

"Come inside." He held the door open for her but she just shook her head.

"No. Can we go to the creek?"

"Sure." Peter took his keys. "Mom! I'm going out!"

"But we're having dinner."

"It's Grace. Emergency, can't explain."

He was collecting his things and had just pulled a hoodie over his head when Lilly looked out from the kitchen while drying her hands on a dishtowel. Grace tilted her head down in an attempt to hide her face.

"Ok." That was all Lilly said.

Peter put his arm around Grace and took her outside. They got on their bikes and headed towards the creek. They'd spent a lot of time there as kids, this was actually where they'd been when they cut their hands for the blood pact.

Peter laid down on the ground and Grace laid beside him, resting her head on his shoulder and held him. They were quiet for a long time, just hugging and Peter was stroking her back and now and then her hair.

"I think I wanna stay here, like this, forever." She finally said. "If I do, will you stay with me?"

"For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people," Peter mumbled.

"Anne Lister?" Peter had just discovered Anne Lister thanks to her mom and he was constantly quoting her.

"No. The bible." He stroke her hair again and kissed her forehead. "Wanna talk about it?"

"It was just a fight. I don't know." She rubbed her face at his shirt. "Not much to say."

"Are you wiping off your snot on my shirt?"

"No." She looked down on his shirt and dried it off with her hand. "Maybe a little."

Peter shook his head and laughed, "you're so lucky I love you."

-o0o-

Happy was freaking out. He had no fucking idea where Grace was. If this had been two months ago he would've known exactly where she was. With Piney and Piney would've called him when he could picker he up.

Her bike was missing and he was standing on the porch when Ava pulled in on the driveway.

"Do you know where Grace is?" He said as soon as she stepped out of the car.

"No. I thought she was with you?"

"She was." He rubbed his head. "We had a fight."

Ava sighed and opened the car door for Lemmy. "Call Peter."

"I did. Lilly said she'd been there and that they headed out."

"Take the bags from the car." She stopped and looked at him. Then she smiled and pulled him down for a kiss. "She'll be fine."

He took the grocery bags and followed Ava into the kitchen. While she was unpacking them he tried to call Grace again but she still wasn't answering. He walked back and forth in the kitchen and when Ava laughed he looked back and noticed that Lemmy was walking just behind him. When he looked down at him Lemmy gave him a big smile and hugged his legs. He lifted him up and hugged him back. At least one of his kids still liked him.

"The creek!" It finally hit him. That's where they where. He was halfway through the door when Ava caught him. He turned around and she shook her head. What the fuck!

"Give her some time, Honey. She's with Peter and if they're at the creek they'll be fine." Her arms were around his waist and she was looking up at him. He wanted to say that she was wrong but she probably wasn't. He gave her a kiss.

"Ok. One hour."

"Two." Ava pulled him down for another kiss. "If she's not back in two hours you can go and get her."

-o0o-

Grace was sitting up and Peter had his arm around her.

"It's getting cold."

"And I'm hungry," Peter added. "I missed dinner."

"Sorry."

"No worries. Think you're ready to head back?"

She nodded and they got up. "I love this place."

"Me too. I think I want to be buried here."

That scared her. She didn't want to think about Peter dying or about loosing more people. "You can't say things like that. You can't die."

Peter hugged her. "Come on. Before Hap sends out a search party of huge bikers."

She squeezed him really tight. "Thank you."

"Any time, Pixie." He kissed her cheek.

They came to Peter's house first but Grace just waved at him and continued home. Happy was sitting outside the house and stood up when he saw her but he didn't say anything. She locked the bike and then walked up in front of him.

"I'm sorry," she finally said.

Happy looked at his daughter, she looked cold and he pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry too." He held her for a long time. "Where you at the creek?"

"Yes. You knew?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't come and picked me up?" She looked surprised and then she smiled. "Didn't even spy on me a little to make sure I was ok?"

"Your mom stopped me. Said you needed time."

"She's a smart woman."

"Yes, she is." He kissed her forehead. "If you'd stayed a little longer I would've come for you though. Just so you know."

She nodded. "Good to know my time frame for next time."

"Come on. There's food in the kitchen." He held her shoulders and steered her into the house. She was cold and probably hungry as hell.

"I miss him," she said once they were in the kitchen and Happy hugged her tighter. He knew who she meant and he missed the old man as well.

"I miss him too, Sugar."

"Can I visit his grave tomorrow?"

"Sure. Want me to take you?"

She shook her head. "No, but I want to bring something."

"Flowers? I'll give you money for it."

"No. Don't think Piney's much for flowers." She looked up towards the door and smiled and Lemmy who came running and sat down in her lap after a big kiss. Ava was just behind him.

"What are you two talking about?"

"I want to visit Piney's grave tomorrow and I want to bring something. Don't think flower's the right thing for his grave."

"No, Piney wasn't much for flowers," Ava laughed. "Give him a Tequila. He'd like that."

Crazy woman but she was right. "He'd like that," Happy agreed.

"Grace," it was Lemmy who wanted his big sisters attention, "can we watch a movie?"

"Sure." Grace kissed his cheek.

"Just you and me, not mom and dad?"

"Yeah. We can watch in my room."

Lemmy smiled and nodded. Then he looked at Happy and Ava. "You can't come."

Happy laughed and kissed both of his kids on his way out. "Make sure he brushes his teeth." Grace nodded and continued eating.

He went into the bedroom and laid down on the bed and turned on the TV. It didn't take Ava long to come in as well. She closed the door and curled up next to him.

"Are you two friends now?"

"Yeah."

"What was it about this time?"

He shrugged. He didn't know. He never did.

Ava looked up a Happy who seemed calm no. She moved up and kissed his chin. "Go easy on her. She's still very upset about Piney."

"I know."

He was still a bit off sorts so she climbed up and straddled him. "You're a good dad. You know that, right?"

He smiled and grabbed her hips. "Are you trying to be a good wife or a good old lady now?"

"Is there a difference?"

"A good wife talks. A good old lady gives her man a blowjob to make him feel better." He pressed his dick against her down to make sure she felt his hard-on.

"Want a blowjob?"

"Babe, I'm always up for a blowjob."

She knew that so she leaned forward and kissed him and then she helped him off with the t-shirt. She unbuttoned his pants and sat down on her heels between his legs. He was still sitting up when she leaned forward.

"Are you gonna sit up when I do this?"

He looked down at her with glowing eyes, a big smile and nodded. So she licked his entire length before opening her mouth and taking him inside.

"Oh, shit babe," he groaned and lifted his hips to get deeper into her mouth.

By the time she had her hand around the lower end to stop him from thrusting to far, he had his hand around her neck and she felt the swelling.

"Fuck, Ava! I'm almost there." This was his warning but she didn't let go and only increased the tempo and pretty soon he exploded in her mouth. "Jesus Christ," he groaned.

She tried to swallow it all but some of it ran down his dick onto her hand and she felt it around her mouth as well.

She sat up and dried her mouth. "Feeling better?"

"Yes," he smiled and drew his thumb over her lips. "Missed a little." He grabbed her neck again and kissed her. "Thank you."

That made her laugh again. "Are you thanking me for doing my duty as an Old Lady?"

Happy laid down and took her with him, hugging her tight. "You're right. What was I thinking?" He kissed her neck and then he growled into her hear, "you're doing it tomorrow again and every fucking night until you swallow all of it."

"Yes, Sir." She mumbled into his mouth. "Wanna finger-fuck me now?"

His hand was already up her dress and he was pulling her panties. "Yeah."

She knew that she was already wet after the blowjob and he smiled when his fingers slipped inside her panties. And it didn't take him long to make her come too.

Afterwards she was on his arm and he was holding her tight against his chest with the other hands fingers still buried inside of her. She liked to do this sometimes, just heavy petting instead of sex and as long as she blew him, Happy was ok with it as well. He would probably have given her head if she asked but she liked it when he watched her come and he loved it as well.

They lade next to each other, still half dressed and watched TV for a while. Then Happy went and checked to make sure that at least Lemmy was sleeping and Ava went into the bathroom.

When he came to bed he was only in his boxers and puller her closer.

"Felling relaxed?" She asked when he grabbed his tit the way he always did when he held her.

"Yeah."

"Ready for a new fight with Grace tomorrow then?"

"Yup." He hugged her tighter. "Will you give me a blowjob to calm me down when we're friends again?"

"Honey, if I'm gonna give you a blowjob every time the two of you fight I'll wear out my jaw."

That made him chuckle. "Probably. It was worth a shot."

"Could've worked." She snuggled closer to him and yawned. "Will you give her that tequila?"

"Yeah. I'll give her whatever the fuck she wants if it helps her to get over him being gone even a little bit."

She kissed the arm he held around her. "Best dad ever."

"Can I get that on a t-shirt?"

"Honey, if you promise to wear it to the clubhouse I'll get you that t-shirt," she laughed and then she imagined the look on the other's faces if he walked into the clubhouse with it and laughed even worse.

"Go to sleep before I make you blow me again for being a bitch."

"I love you."

"Good."

Happy laid awake a while after Ava had fallen a sleep and when she turned around in her sleep he looked at her. Teasing bitch. He wouldn't admit it even if someone held a fucking gun to his head but he liked to hear he was doing good as a dad. It sure as shit didn't feel like it sometimes.

-o0o-

The next morning Lemmy woke him up and gave him a drawing he'd done with Grace. It said "No. 1 Dad" and had a picture of him riding on it. He folded it and put it in his cut together with the picture of Ava and Grace and the other picture of him and Lemmy. He kind of felt like a pussy for it but it would be nice to have there the next time Grace yelled that he never got anything and that she hated him.


	10. Kiddo, I have no idea

_Disclaimer: I don't of Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_This does not take place between the two stories. It was in 'Crooked Rain' but I needed to take it out. I takes place after Grace has been with Skip for a while. It messed up the pace in the story and being a big believer in 'Kill You Darlings' I cut it._

_I did however think it was great and I also loved that it was with Happy and Lemmy so I worked on it to make it work more or less on its own and thought I'd share it._

_I've had some questions about the new cover to this. Yes, It's Grace and Peter.  
_

* * *

**Kiddo, I have no idea**

Happy looked at Lemmy sitting next to him. He took a sip from his coke and then sneezed. For some reason Lemmy tended to sneeze when he drank fizzy drinks but he hated ice cream.

"I like Skip," he said and even if he tried to make it sound like it came out of nowhere, Happy damn well knew that it didn't.

"Good."

"Do you like him?"

"Yes." Lemmy looked up at him with a skeptical look so he tried again. "I like him."

"But you'd like him more if he wasn't with Grace." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Probably." Lemmy was quiet again.

The weekly sessions with Lemmy was very different from the ones with Grace. Grace talked a lot, all the time and Lemmy didn't. It was like sitting next to a kid version of oneself when he sat next to Lemmy. 'Mini-Happy', that's what Grace sometimes called him and Happy liked it.

"If I wanted to become a Son, would you be ok with that?"

"You can be anything you want kid. I'm always on your side." For some reason he would prefer if Lemmy didn't become a Son. He'd want him to have a normal life but just as Grace had been bound to end up with a biker, Lemmy was probably bound to become one.

"Skip and Tiny grew up in the club."

"Yes."

"And Opie and Jax." Lemmy looked up at him again. "Did you know that Jax decided to join after he'd fixed his dad's bike? The panhead that's standing at the club."

"Yeah. I knew that. How did you know?"

"Thomas told me. Skip said he'd always wanted to be a son."

"You asked him?"

"Yeah."

"You two talk a lot?" He had seen them at the clubhouse now and then, in the couch or at the bar, talking. He quite often found them at home in front of the TV, hanging out.

"Sometimes. I like him."

"You told me." Happy lit a smoke. "Why?"

"He's nice and he really likes Grace."

That was very true. The kid really liked Grace. Butt fucking crazy about her was another way to put it and it was a mutual. Happy wondered how long it would take before he'd move to Charming.

"Yeah, he does," he finally answered Lemmy's statement. "He likes her a lot."

They were quiet again for a while and Happy finished the smoke.

"Could we move my room?" Lemmy suddenly said and Happy had to bite his cheeks to not laugh. "To the one next to Grace's."

"Sure you don't want the one we have as the guestroom now?"

"I'd like the one next to Grace."

Happy cleared his throat. This would be awkward. "You know, you could hear her too now."

He did his very best to not laugh but when Lemmy looked at him in horror with a scarlet red face, he couldn't help himself.

"Didn't think about that." He finally said, then he looked even more horrified. "She told you?!"

"Don't give her a hard time about it." He was still red as a tomato and was staring into the ground. He mumbled something but Happy couldn't hear what. "What did you say?"

"I really wished she hadn't."

"Kid, everyone has heard their parents. I know it's horrible and I'm sorry." He put his arm around Lemmy. "And you know it's because I really love your mom."

"You don't say that to her very often."

"No. I don't."

"Why? You tell me and Grace all the time."

"Yeah, but you're my kids. And before the two of you and your mom I haven't told that to that many people at all. I tell your mom when she needs to hear it 'cause it makes her happy. I tell you all the time 'cause kids need to hear it all the time."

"Mom says it to you often."

"I'm like a kid. I need to hear it all the time." Lemmy finally smiled and Happy hugged him. "What else is on your mind? You've been about to tell me something since we got here."

"I asked Grace about Jonah."

Happy liked that Grace and Lemmy was close, that they talked to each other about shit when they didn't want to ask him or Ava. But he wished that they at least let him in on stuff like this.

"What about him?"

"He hurt mom." Happy nodded. "But he never hurt Grace."

"No."

That did depend on how you defined 'hurt'. He'd never hit her but in some ways he'd damaged Grace even worse than Ava. He wasn't sure how to explain that to Lemmy and that was probably not the point anyway.

"Grace said it's because mom is the bravest woman alive. That she'd do anything for us."

"She would." Happy kissed Lemmy's head. "She sure would, Kiddo. Anything." Lemmy looked up at him. "What else did Grace say?"

"She didn't exactly say it but I asked her." He knew that look.

He'd seen it once before on Grace. When she was six years old, sitting on the garage floor with her arms around her knees and asking him he'd killer her father. Even if he'd never talked to Lemmy about what he did, what he was, Lemmy knew.

"If I killed him?" Lemmy nodded. "I did."

"I know." Lemmy moved closer to him. "Grace said she figured it out and that she asked you." Grace was good at that, figuring things out and Lemmy was too.

"Yeah. She did." No matter what happened he would never forget that. Or her hugging him and promising she'd never tell anyone.

"What did she say?"

"That she loved me." Lemmy looked up at him and Happy smiled. "It was the first time she said that."

"She really is crazy," Lemmy laughed. "Michael at my school said I have the hottest big sister of everyone."

"Really?"

Lemmy nodded. "But he also eats his boogers."

"Nice kid."

"Not really. When I want to date do you think you'll be like you were with Grace?"

"Probably not. Got anyone in mind?"

"No!" Lemmy almost yelled with red cheeks. He sure had someone in mind and Happy was very curious about who the girl was. "Just... you know. Wanted to know."

"Why are you asking?"

"Abel's sort of in love with a girl."

If this had been Grace he'd never let her get away with something so pathetic but Grace was a lot easier to get talking than Lemmy. You had to let him get away with things and just keep him talking. He'd fess up eventually.

"Yeah? Anyone we know?" Lemmy shrugged and Happy tried to hide his smile. "It's easier when it's the son."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Your mom says it's because I'm a male chauvinist ass but I think I just want to make sure she's with someone who'll treat her right."

"I just don't... get girls. They're weird."

"You'll never 'get' girls'."

"I won't ever understand them?"

"No. Never. Not even your own daughters."

"That's depressing." Lemmy slumped a bit next to him. "They look at me and giggle."

In Happy's experience that quite often wasn't because they found him funny. "All of them?"

"No, but Alice's friends does"

"Alice?"

"The blond girl with blue eyes in my class."

"Pretty?" Lemmy swallowed and nodded at Happy's question. He had been right, Lemmy did have someone in mind. "So she looks at you with red cheeks and her friends giggle?"

"Yeah." He had big eyes. "How did you know?"

"Think you should ask her on a date."

"I'm ten!"

"Wait a couple of years and then ask her then. Or ask if your friend and her friends can do something. It's easier if it's not just the two of you."

It struck Happy that if this had been Grace talking to him when she was ten he probably wouldn't have been this helpful. Not even back then. On the other hand, if this had been Grace talking to Lemmy she would've said the same thing.

"Did you go on dates when you were ten?"

"You should probably not do what I did with girls, no matter what age you are," he said and then he laughed. "I wasn't very nice."

"Are you now?"

"I'm nice to your mom."

"I know that. I mean with other girls."

It was a very innocent questions since Lemmy wasn't thinking about it the way he was but it still hit a sore spot. He was nice to Ava, now.

"Only girls I bother with are your mom, your sister and the other Old Ladies at the club. The rest I stay away from."

"Why?"

"It's easier that way, Kiddo."

He couldn't really tell Lemmy that any other of the women surrounding the club was just trying to get one of the members into bed. And he would never tell him that he had quite often taken advantage of that. It probably wasn't long until he'd figure that out on his own.

"Cause you don't understand them?"

"Women are trouble, some of them are worth it, some are not. I stay away from those who aren't worth it."

"How do you know who's worth it?"

"That's what you need to learn."

"How do I learn that?"

"Kiddo, I have no idea. I got lucky with your mom."

"Cause Grace pimped her out."

"Not just that but Grace helped. I was lucky that a woman like your mom even gave me a chance." In all honesty he hadn't given her much of an opportunity to get rid of him. He hugged his son. "You'll figure it out. At least figure out enough to get by."

"She's really pretty."

"Alice?" Happy asked and Lemmy nodded. "Talk to her when she's alone, that way you don't have to put up with her giggling friends."

Having dealt with Grace, a girl, made it quite a lot easier to deal with Lemmy. He understood him in another way. His 'Mini-Happy'. They were very much alike. Lemmy was smarter, wicked smart, just like his sister and mom.

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"You're great. I love you."

"Love you too, Kiddo."


	11. In Case I Miss

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters from the show. They all belong to Kurt Sutter and FX._

_This is a really, really short one. On the other hand I published a full chapter today so this could be somewhat of a dessert. A little sweetness after the pretty dark chapter._

* * *

**In Case I Miss**

Happy looked at Ava, she needed to understand how important this was and let him do it. "I taught you."

"When I was 27. She's twelve!"

"She needs to know how to do it." He walked up to Ava and put an arm around her. "Being a part of this life, she needs to be able to handle a gun and be good at it. And I need to know that she can take care of herself. If she starts training now it will come natural to her when it's important."

Ava sighed and he knew he had won. She didn't like it but she agreed. "Fine, but you better start with a thorough lesson about safety."

"Babe, I know that. She's my kid too and I want her to be safe."

"And she can't even touch a gun if you're not with her. You need to make that really clear to her." She glared at him. "Remember when she played with your knife?"

"I remember. I'll make sure she knows." He still hated to think about when Grace and Peter took his knife. He had really fucked up that time. "She'll be safe. I promise."

He gave Ava a kiss before he left and found Grace in her room.

"Come on, Sugar." He threw her helmet on the bed next to her.

She smiled at him. "A ride?"

"Not only. I'm going to show you something."

"What?" She looked eager when she grabbed her helmet and skipped past him towards the stairs.

He didn't answer, just followed her and they got on the bike. They stopped at a shooting range and Grace had the biggest eyes when she got off the bike.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No." He walked ahead of her, knowing that she followed him.

When he turned around she was just behind him and he knelt down in front of her. "You need to listen carefully, Grace, and you need to remember everything I'm telling you now. Ok?"

"Ok, Dad."

"There are four things you always need to keep in mind when you're handling guns. I want you to repeat after me." She nodded. "First. _Always_ assume that a gun is loaded. Say it!"

"Always assume that the gun is loaded," she said with a shaky voice.

"Do you understand what that means?"

"That I should always treat the gun as if it can go off."

"Exactly." His girl was a smart one. He could see why Ava was nervous but he knew Grace. She wouldn't take this lightly. "The second rule is _never_ point the gun at something you don't want to kill."

"Never point the gun at something I don't want to kill."

"Good girl. You should never do that because you should always assume that the gun is loaded."

"I understand." She was starting to look a big freaked rather than excited, which was good. She should have a healthy amount of respect. "Third: _Always_ keep you finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot."

"Always keep my finger off the trigger until I'm ready to shoot." She looked at him with big eyes. "So I don't accidentally fire?"

"Exactly." He kissed her forehead. "Fourth; always know what's behind the target."

"Always know what's behind the target." She hugged him with her arms around his neck. "In case I miss."

"Yes. And in case the bullet passes through." He grabbed her shoulders to make sure she looked at him. "Now, Sugar, I want you to repeat all four rules."

"Always assume that a gun is loaded, never point the gun at something I don't want to kill, always keep my finger off the trigger until I'm ready to shoot and always know what's behind the target."

"Good girl. And until I tell you otherwise, you do not ever touch or handle a gun unless I'm with you."

"I promise."

He took her to the target practice area and gave her safety glasses and earmuffs. He would never use it but this was his kid. "Don't put those over your ear yet, you need to hear."

-o0o-

They were there for two hours and she was great. She paid attention to everything he said an as oppose to pretty much any other situation; she did what he said. She understood why this was important and for her own safety. When he told her they were going home she protested.

"No!"

"Honey, we're leaving now. You did really good and I'll take you here again but if you get tired you get unfocused."

"Ok." She handed him the glasses and the earmuffs. "I liked it."

"Good. You need to be able to protect yourself." He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the bike. "What were the rules?"

"Always assume that a gun is loaded, never point the gun at something I don't want to kill, always keep my finger off the trigger until I'm ready to shoot and always know what behind the target." She turned to him and smiled. "Can I have an ice cream?"

"Yes."

-o0o-

Four years later he and the sixteen year old Grace was at the shooting range and he was standing slightly behind her. There were five human shaped targets ahead of her and he was holding four clips.

"Go!" He said and she emptied the first clip. Four in the head and eight in the body. All perfect hits. She ejected the empty clip and took the one he was holding next to her shoulder. Loaded and did it again. Five times, all with four in the head and eight in the body. Happy felt the smile on his face and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Perfect, Sugar."

She handed him the gun with a smile. "Thank you."

"If you can find a guy who can stand the humiliation of you being a better shot, I'll be ok with him,"

"Really?" She eyed him suspiciously. "I might hold you to that. What if I find one that's a better shot than me?"

"Won't happen, Baby Girl." She was amazing and he was so proud of her. He loved to watch the faces of the other guys at the range when she was practicing. Especially the new ones who checked her out and then turned red when she started to fire. "You'd never date a guy who was better than you."

She smiled. "No. I wouldn't."

He turned her around and whispered in her ear. "Again. Let's show these old dudes how a sixteen year old girl handles a gun."

The smile didn't leave his lips as he watched his Baby Girl kick ass.


	12. Remember that

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_I know I'm kind of flooding you with chapters now but for some reason the writing is going really well right now and I'm not complaining._

_Thank you so much for all you reviews, pm's, favs and alerts. That is what keeps me going so keep them coming!_

_**This one takes place when Lemmy is almost two and Grace is almost eleven. Now, before you freak out, the prequel to this will be up really soon. It needs to go up between the next chapter of Crooked Rain and the one after that so the wait won't be long.**_

* * *

**Remember that**

Happy was sitting in the couch and was looking at Ava sleeping next to him. She was facing away from him and towards the backrest, holding her arm around Lemmy.

Lemmy was sick, he had a high temperature and was snotty as hell. That was probably the only reason that Ava was anywhere near him at the moment. She hadn't talked to him in days other than the basic things when the kids were around. That's why he was sitting here like some pussy, taking any chance to look at her when she didn't have that fucking distaste in her eyes.

There was a rumble in the stairs, if hadn't heard it a thousands of times before he would've thought someone was falling down the stairs but by now he knew that it was what it sounded like when Grace down the stairs. She came into the living room and leaned over Ava to look at Lemmy. "Are they sleeping?"

"Yeah."

"Ok." She climbed up into his lap and put her arms around his neck and pressed her nose to his cheek. She wanted something and he smiled. At least one of his girls still loved him.

"What, Sugar."

"Nothin'..."

"Don't try. Whatta you want?"

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Nothin'."

"Am I going to have to tickle you to find out?" She was still ticklish as hell and it was the best way to make her yield and talk.

"No." She pressed her face against his neck this time. "Can I ask you something?"

"You know it, honey."

She was quiet a while. "Lemmy calls you dad."

"Yes..." Happy was holding his breath. He knew where he hoped this was going. She'd called him dad a couple of times before, the first time almost three years ago. It had happened now and then when she was upset or really eager but never on purpose.

"I know you're not my real dad and all..."

He interrupted her by leaning back and putting his hand on her cheek. "I'm your real dad, Sugar. In all the ways that count."

She looked at him while chewing the insides of her cheek, he saw tears forming in her eyes. "Can I call you dad?"

"Honey. It would make me really happy and proud if you did that." He dried her cheeks before giving her a kiss. "I'd like it alot."

"Love it?"

"Yes. I'd love it."

She climbed up so she was on her knees in his lap and with her arms around his neck she gave him a kiss. "Thank you... Dad."

He honestly though his fucking heart would bust when he heard that. Grace calling him dad, on purpose. She couldn't have picked a better time either. He really needed that right now.

"You're welcome, Baby Girl. Thank _you._" He stroke her hair. There was one thing who could make this day even better. "Go and get you helmet."

"A ride?" She had a huge smile on her lips.

"Yeah." He needed a fucking ride. He needed to get out of the house and he wanted her with him.

She took off and once she was out of sight he sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I love you."

He snapped his head towards Ava, not sure if he had actually heard her say that. "What?"

She turned her head and looked at him. "I love you."

He got up and knelt down next to her couch with his arm around her. This was the first time she'd talked to him in a week and he was gonna take this chance. "I'm really sorry."

"I know."

"And I love you."

She turned slightly and he could see the tears in her eyes. For the thousandth time he felt like a complete fucking asshole. Like the lowest of creatures and he wasn't used to that. The only one who had made him feel like that was his mom. And once again he wished that Ava was like normal women who screamed and threw things instead of this fucking silent treatment or calm reasoning. He couldn't handle that, it drove him insane and put him in a state of complete panic.

He needed her, she was what kept him grounded. She was his warm, beautiful woman who could make any shit disappear with just a smile and he had fucked that up.

He hesitated for a second and then reached for her to dry her cheeks. She didn't turn away, instead she turned around and sat up. She moved to sit with her legs on either side of him jus like she used to do. He waited. Usually she put her hands on his face and smiled at him. And when she did just that, he took a deep breath. There was no-one else who he did this for, kneeled.

She still didn't say anything, just looked at him and then gave him a weak smile before leaning forward. When she kissed him he closed his eyes and pulled her closer.

When her lips left his and she hugged him instead, he groaned and she laughed silently into his ear.

"Again," she said and he hugged her even tighter. He smiled. That was usually his line and he understood.

"I love you, Ava."

He felt her lips on his neck and she kept kissing him, moving over his jaw, up his chin but before she was back at his lips she stopped. He looked up and straight into her golden eyes and saw her smile.

"Again."

He caressed her face and simply took a kiss instead of waiting for one. "I love you."

"Remember that."

"I will."

He kissed her again, pressing himself towards her and smiled at her moan, completely forgetting Lemmy lying on the couch just behind her. He was so relieved to have her this close again, to taste her and feel her.

"Dad?"

He let go of Ava and turned around. Grace had an embarrassed smile and was holding her helmet in front of her.

"Sorry, honey."

"We don't have to go," she said.

Happy looked at Ava who still smiled at him before turning back to Grace. "Yes we do." He got up but gave Ava another kiss. "We'll be back soon."

"Ok," she looked at Grace. "Give me a hug, honey."

He watched Grace hugging Ava and then they took off.

-o0o-

"What did you fight about?"

"It was... grown up shit."

"Oh. Ok." She looked down on the ground. "But you're friends now?"

"I don't know. We're getting there." He hugged her closer. "It'll be fine." This time he actually believed it. They could fix this. _He_ could fix this.

"Mrs. Rodriguez is the hottest mom of all the parents at our school but my mom has the best voice."

"I think your mom is pretty hot. Don't you?"

"Cut it out," she made a disgusted face. "I can't say that about my mom. She's my mom!"

"Who's the hottest dad then?"

"Mr. Daniels. Shane's dad." She didn't even hesitate and Happy laughed. "You're the most badass dad though."

"According to Peter?" He was wondering where she got this from.

"No. According to everyone. They did a list."

"Who did?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, kids at school."

"And I was the most badass dad?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "It's totally true."

He was pretty pleased with that. "What else was on the list?"

"It was a really long list. It had like different stuff about the parents on it. And the students."

"Who was the hottest girl then?"

"You can't call a kid hot but Katie was voted the pretties." She made a face when she said it. Grace hated Katie.

"Where you on the list?"

"No." She tried to make it sound like she didn't care but he knew better.

"I think your the most beautiful girl at school."

"I know but that's kind of your job."

"My job?"

"Yeah, you're my dad. You're supposed to think I'm the most beautiful girl in the world."

Happy laughed and looked at Grace. "Well, good thing you are then. Makes my job easier."

On one hand he wished she felt better about herself and realized how beautiful she was. On the other... once she grew up and other guys noticed how beautiful she was, because they would... he'd be very pleased about being known as the most badass dad.

She bumped him in the side and laughed as well. "Are you and mom gonna be ok?"

"Yeah. We will." He kissed her hair. "Don't worry about it."

-o0o-

He had some business at the clubhouse but came home fairly early so Ava was still up when he got back. He found her in the library.

She put the book on the side table next to the armchair when he came in and looked at him. He halted, not sure about where they were standing. If they actually were ok. It had felt like that earlier.

She extended her arms towards him and he smiled before going up to her and lifted her up from the armchair, turned around and sat down into it with her in his lap.

"Wanna talk?" He said and stroke his thumb over her chin and jaw.

"No," she took his wrist and kissed the palm of his hand. "I think we've said everything."

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "According to Grace you've been voted the mom with the best voice at her school."

Ava laughed. "And you?"

"Most badass dad."

"That is true." She leaned closer. "She wants to call you dad."

"Yes." He carefully kissed her lips. "Is that why you forgave me?"

"No. I had already done that, I just needed to stop being angry at you."

"And you're not anymore?"

"Not at the moment."

He noticed the dress and the fact that she had bare legs. He really, really hoped that she'd forgiven him enough to let him fuck her. He missed that like hell. He ran his hand up her calf and licked her lips.

"How _not _mad are you?"

She smiled at him and then he saw it. That teasing look he loved.

"You're not getting any but you can give me head."

Happy could live with that. Simply since he knew that if he got her horny enough she'd be begging for his dick.

He stood up and sat her down in the armchair again. Her eyes didn't leave him. Once again he was on his knees in front of her and it didn't bother him. Truth was, he liked it as long as no-one else saw it.

He reached up underneath her dress and pulled down her underwear. Once they were off he ran his hands along the outside of her thighs, grabbed her hips and pulled her down until he was resting on the edge of the seat. He kissed the inside of her left thigh, from the knee and to the groin. When he leaned back again she hissed and he smiled. He knew he would get some if he did this properly. He moved to her right knee and kissed the inside of that thigh as well.

Ava was still looking at him and he held her eyes with his as he leaned forward again and pressed his tongue between her lips into her and noticed she was wet. He licked all the way up to her clit. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

Happy had always liked to do this to Ava but this time it was more to it. Using words had never been his thing and he wasn't a sweet guy. They mostly teased each other. This, making her moan, that was how he showed her how much he loved her. He was the only living man who'd had her and the only one who she had ever liked to have sex with. And she used to like it, more that a little.

She tried to sit up and he pressed her back into the armchair. To his surprise she simply took his hand and sat up again, looking into his eyes.

"You're not calling the shots today," she said with a smile and Happy groaned when he saw the look in her eyes.

She pushed him back towards the bookshelf and straddled him, licking herself off his face and kissed him. Before he knew how, she'd pulled down his pants and he was inside her. He closed his eyes and felt all of that amazing fucking pussy. He had missed it. The bookshelf in his back wasn't that comfortable but he wasn't going to complain. Not as long as she kept doing this to him.

He felt her grab his shirt and his eyes flew open when she ripped it open. The woman was tearing the clothes of his body and he was so fucking close to coming when he saw the look in her eyes while she was doing it. She was... wild. It didn't matter what she'd said, she was still pissed. Extremely pissed and even more horny.

He wanted to take off the dress, he wanted those breasts in the open but when he tried she grabbed his throat and pushed him towards the bookshelf. And with one hand holding his throat and the other holding on to the bookshelf behind him she fucked him. There was no other word for it. The woman was fucking his brains out and he loved it.

His balls was clearly signaling that if she didn't slow down he would come and he tried to catch her hips to slow her down.

"Don't!"

"Ava, I'm.."

"Shut up! And don't you dare come yet."

Happy smiled. Her bossing him like that didn't help, rather the opposite. He held off but eventually he had two choices, he would blow a load or he could take control.

He grabbed her hands, held them over her head and pushed her to her back. Still inside her he nailed her to the thick carpet on the floor. They laid still for a while and he looked into her eyes before carefully kissing her.

When she relaxed he started moving again, slowly at first but very soon he did his best to fuck her through the floor into the basement. She was getting close as well and when she threw her legs around his hips, when every single breath from her turned into a cry and when he felt her contracting around him, he came with her.

They laid still next to each other on their backs, her dress was still around her waist and his jeans down at his feet. He turned towards her.

"It won't happen again."

"How do you know?" Her eyes were still closed.

Every single thing he wanted to say was so fucking sappy it made him gag. He shook his head. "I know."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "You're not the one who need convincing, Happy."

He sighed. "Because I love you." He stroke her cheek. "And I don't ever want you to look at me that way again."

"What way?"

"Like you couldn't stand the sight of me." He pulled her closer. "I..." This was unbelievably hard. "I need you and when I thought you..." He had been so sure she was about to leave and it had hurt in ways he hadn't been able to imagine and he would never fucking admit that to anyone, not even her. "I know I don't tell you this shit often enough."

She laughed a little and took his hand. "I don't need to hear _shit_. But I need you to be honest with me when you do say _shit._"

"Ok." He kissed her. "I love you."

"You don't need to make that a habit. I like it when you tell me on special occasions."

"Good." He wanted to save if for those times as well. Every time he said it her eyes grew big and she smiled at him. It didn't matter how pissed or sad she was before he said it. "I still need to hear it quite often though."

"I know you do." She rolled up on top of him and looked him straight into the eyes. "Don't hurt me again."

"I can't promise that I'll never hurt you again or fuck up but it won't be like this. I can promise that."

"That sounds fair." She kissed him. "I can live with that."


	13. Prequel: Teach Me a Lesson

_I just passed the magic line of more than 100 author favs. I don't know if that's a lot or not but it's f-ing huge to me. So thank you._

_As a treat I'm publishing this now. It was supposed to be published after next chapter of 'Crooked Rain' but the important part was that it needed to be published before the chapter after that so... here it is._

_I'm currently visiting my brother and we're working on our sibling project (a hint would be that he's a comic book artist) so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the next chapter or CR up before the weekend. I'm very sorry but it's not all finished and it's a very important chapter so I want it to be perfect. Hope this will satisfy your 'Grace'-need for now._

_**A very important A/N at the end, please do read it!**_

* * *

**Prequel: Teach Me a Lesson**

She had warned him. Happy knew she had, that night when he asked her if she wanted another kid, she warned him that it would changed things. But fucking hell! He hadn't realized how much it would.

He loved that kid to death. Lemmy was perfect, in some ways. But jesus fucking christ he didn't sleep at all the first six months. At least that's how it felt. No sleep and no fucking.

Then he bought a house. Or _they_ bought a house. Grace and Ava loved it and he loved his girls. Both of them. He really did.

It was a big house with a garden. It was very nice. And his girls loved it.

Ava was all caught up in the baby and he understood that. She didn't sleep much and all. But really. Wasn't they supposed to have sex more often than this?

He was sitting in the bar at the club and he had to fucking admit it. He was not comfortable with all this shit. He had a house, with a garden, a wife, two kids, they even had a fucking volvo. This wasn't him. This was not what he was like. He didn't do shit like this. He was a biker, he drank, he nailed sweetbutts, got blow jobs from skanks if he felt like it. He didn't fucking mow lawns. Something he still hadn't done and never would. Not in a million years.

He threw down another scotch. For a second he considered to stay at the clubhouse but changed his mind. With a sigh he got up, turned around to see Tig get a blowjob from a crow eater. Blow job, he could really do with a blow job.

The bike was outside and he got on it and drove home. The house was dark so he assumed that Ava had gone to bed. She was going to get the place ready for Lemmy's first birthday party and when he went into the kitchen he could see that she had. It looked nice. Ballons with bikes and streamers from the ceiling. Even letters that spelled 'Happy Birthday Leon'.

He looked inside Grace's room and she was sleeping. She had twisted herself into the cover and it didn't look comfortable. After carefully unwrapping her he gave her a kiss. Just as he was about to walk outside he heard her voice.

"Happy?"

"Yeah, Sugar. I was just checking you, go back to sleep."

"Hug."

He sat down on her bed and took her in his arms and gave her a tight hug. "I love you, Sugar."

"I love you too, Happy. I missed you today."

"I'm sorry. Had some business." He gave her a kiss. "Go back to sleep, Sweetie."

He really loved his family.

Ava was sleeping and he laid down behind her, drew her closer. He wanted her to turn around and hold him like she used to do but she didn't. He stroke her back, he knew every single scar on it as well as he knew his own tattoos.

He considered trying to wake her up to see if he could get some but changed his mind. She'd be to tired and he'd be pissed that she didn't want to so he sighed and closed his eyes instead.

-o0o-

Five months later he was on a run. Before he left they had a huge fight that started with sex and ended with money. That was a fairly regular argument these days. It wasn't that they didn't have enough money. They did all right but somehow it always ended up in the fucking arguments anyway.

They were in Tacoma and he exhaled in relief when he walked though the doors to the clubhouse. This was his place, where he used to be, before houses, gardens and kids. Lorca gave him a hug and so did the rest of the familiar faces. Fucking hell he missed this.

He got piss drunk that night, trying to get it all out of his head. When anyone asked about Ava or the kids he avoided the questions and no one found if strange. He had never been much for discussing his private shit and they knew it.

When he was in the couch later that night a sweetbutt gave him a lap dance. It was nothing. Just a lap dance, he might've squeezed her tits a bit but no more than that. At least not as far as he could remember. It was nothing.

Ava was still up when he came home the next day and she hugged him tight.

"Missed you."

"You did?" He said with a smile.

"I always miss you." She kissed him and that night he actually did get some.

When she fell asleep on his shoulder and he was stroking her back he though about that lap dance again. It was just a dance. It was nothing.

-o0o-

Since he had sort of agreed with himself that lap dances were nothing he got a few more.

One particular night the girl giving him the lap dance was really hot and he was horny as hell. She had nothing but a thong on and he did more than squeezed those tits. They were fake but still kind of nice. The good kind of fake. So he asked for a blow job.

It was just a blow job, no kissing, no cuddling. Just a quick blow job in the bathroom. A way to get some relief. It was nothing.

-o0o-

Pretty soon the 'nothing' included taking some sweetbutt from behind. Still no kissing, no cuddling, no sweet words and always with a condom. All they did was pull down their panties, if they were wearing any, and he took them quick from behind. That was all.

I was significantly harder to defend that one to himself as nothing once he was sober. But hey, he was a guy, he needed sex, he was used to getting sex whenever he needed it and Ava was holding back in that area. He wasn't getting nearly enough.

-o0o-

Ava was in the laundry room in the house. She loved the house. It was big, not huge, but big, with open areas and more than enough rooms. The kitchen was completely new when they moved in and it was amazing. She even had a library! It had two big armchairs with a side table between them. She had no illusions what so ever that Happy would ever occupy the other one but Grace quite often did.

It was the nicest house she had ever lived in and she almost cried when Happy had taken her to see it.

"Like it, babe?" He'd said with his arm around her.

"It's nice. Is it for sale?" She asked and when she turned towards him he had the biggest smile.

"Not anymore."

They moved two months before Lemmy's first birthday. She had no idea what happened after that. Happy had grown distant. Not all the time, sometimes he was just as usual and they could lie in bed and talk half the night, about everything, just like they used to. And he was still Grace's number one, he took her out for rides at least once a week. They called it weekly sessions and they both got back from those with huge smiles.

After the first awkward weeks with Leon he'd gotten into that too even if the diaper changing duties was something he avoided. He did it but he avoided it if he could. She'd caught him in the couch with the sleeping Leon on his chest more that once, discussing bikes or guns or whatever was on his mind.

They still argued but nowadays it almost always started with arguments about sex. Or rather the lack of it. She knew she wasn't as horny anymore. The first months when she could start having sex after Leon's birth she could hardly get wet. According to Tara that was normal while breastfeeding but it was still... embarrassing and hard to explain to Happy. That it wasn't that she didn't want him, her hormones were just shot to shit. Not even mentioning how tired she was all the time. And frankly, having sex while leaking breast milk... it wasn't big turn on for her.

Somehow the very infrequent fucks became... standard. He hated it of course and they argued. It had gotten better lately but that didn't really calm her down. She didn't know why, she just... choked. And lately she even avoided cuddling since he only got pissed that she didn't want sex when she hugged him. It was getting better, just not fast enough for him.

She sighed again and picked up another pair of his jeans, checked the pockets - since she'd already washed two of his pre pay and hundreds of lighters - before throwing them into the washing machine. When she slammed it shut Happy appeared in the door.

"Can you take these?" He pointed down on his legs.

"Yeah, there's room left. Take 'em off."

"Can't wait to get me out of my pants," he said with a smile and she got a kiss as he handed them to her before walking out again.

She shoved her hand into the pocked, threw the junk on top of the washing machine and the jeans in it. Once the machine was on she picked up the already clean and dried clothes, stopped at the door to turn off the light when she remember the papers she pulled out of Happy's pocked and turned around to take it from the bench.

Her eyes fell on them and she froze up. Her hands started to shake and she dropped the clothes on the floor before carefully stepping towards the washing machine.

She had a buzzing sound in her head, almost like a beehive, she could hardly breath and her heart felt like it was beating too hard and too slow. Everything was in slow motion. She swallowed a couple of times to not throw up before she reached for the excruciatingly familiar thing on the bench. It was condoms and one of the foil wraps was empty. She managed to come up quite a few likely scenarios why he would have that in his pocked that didn't include him having sex with someone else but at the same time she knew...

When her parents died she felt an ache in her hear that she still could recall. But she realized that this was what it felt like when the heart broke. It wasn't the same, not by a long shot. They both hurt but in different ways.

She clenched her fist into the t-shirt and pressed her hand agains her chest. It was a physical pain and the buzzing sound was still in her head. The only thing she could see was those condoms, the rest of her vision was blacked out. Those insulting things in her hand was the only thing she could see.

Someone said something behind her and she turned around and saw Happy in the door again. He was holding the laundry in his hands and looked confused. She didn't know what to say. All she could do was hold out her hand to him and pray that he'd laugh about it and give her some perfectly reasonable explanation.

His looked at her and then down in her hand. His eyes widened and he looked up at her. The facial expression said everything she needed to know.

He took a deep breath. "Shit!"

Yeah. Shit.

-o0o-

Happy was... terrified. He had fucked up and he knew it. The look on her when she turned around and held out her hand had confused him. He hadn't seen it before and when he turned his eyes down to see what she was holding in her hand he... he almost threw up. His initial reaction however was to get pissed. It was probably some sort of defense mechanism.

"Why the fuck are you searching my pockets?" He regretted it the second it came out of his mouth.

She stared at him. "I emptied your pockets before throwing them into the machine. Like you asked me to, since you're apparently incapable of doing it yourself."

The hand was still in front of her with those fucking condoms in it. How the fuck could he have been so stupid? Even if they'd been new ones it would be hard to explain but with one of them open and obviously used, he was screwed.

They both stood quiet. He had no idea what to say and finally she threw them at him, pushed him to the side and walked past him out of the laundry room. That's when he realized how much shit he was in.

"Fuck! Ava!" He tried to grab her arm to stop her from leaving.

"No!" She yanked out of his grip, turned around and pointed at him. "Do _not_ touch me!" She kept walking.

"Ava, you can't just walk away."

"Watch me!" She said over her shoulder and walked right out of the house.

He tried to make up his mind. Starting a fight on the lawn would almost ensure that the stupid, goody two shoe neighbor, would take the opportunity to call the cops. When a guy looking like him was yelling at his wife to get her fucking ass indide the house someone always called the cops. He opened the door and watched her get into the car and drive away.

Halfway to the bike he realized that he couldn't go after her, the kids were in the house and when he turned around Grace was in the door, holding Lemmy's hand. She looked at him.

"Where was she going?"

"I... I don't know, Sugar." He noticed one of the neighbors watering his silly fucking bush, pretending he wasn't trying to hear what they were saying. He walked up to Grace, picked up Lemmy and took her hand. "Come on, lets get inside and I'll get you something to eat."

"We just had dinner," Grace protested. "Are you fighting?"

"Yes." That was somewhat of an understatement. He was pretty fucking sure his wife took off to find a new place to live. "How about ice cream?"

"We don't have any ice cream. We ate it yesterday," Grace walked ahead of him into the kitchen before turning around. "What are you fighting about?"

"Grace..." He took a deep breath. "Work with me here, honey."

She eyed him for a few agonizing seconds before nodding. "We have cookie dough. We down have to bake it first. Tastes better that way."

"Thank you. That sounds great."

Once the kids were in bed he started to walk back and forth between the living room and the kitchen. He was getting worried, really worried. He tried to call her and at first he hung up when he got to the voice mail and finally begging her - He begged her! - to just send a text so he knew she was ok. The mood she was in it was quite possible that she'd crashed that fucking Volvo.

At two a clock she was finally back. She stepped inside and walked right by him. Didn't even look at him. He followed her into the bedroom but she slammed door to the bathroom shut, almost hitting his face, and locked it.

Now, Ava was quite capable of getting really pissed and had been more than once before. This wasn't just pissed. She was fucking furious. He waited outside the door and when she opened it again he wasn't sure what to say so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"It was just sweetbutts, it doesn't even mean anything."

She halted, stood still for a second before turning around. The look in her eyes made his heart down to his feet.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better. That you threw me away for something that didn't even mean anything."

"I didn't..." he shut his mouth. Jesus fucking christ! She really was leaving him. "What do you mean. Would it be better if I fell in love with someone else." That wasn't what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that she couldn't leave him.

"I don't know, Happy." She was silent for a while and she wasn't looking at him. It was like she couldn't. "At the moment it's not _who_ you did it with or even _why_ you did it that bothers me. It's _that_ you did it. No matter the reason it still hurts the same."

He had a reason, it was just so fucking childish sounding even to him that he couldn't say it out loud. He'd felt overlooked by her and he wanted one of those chicks who looked like they'd do anything to suck his dick. And he wanted to get laid. In some stupid fucking way he wanted to get back at her. He wasn't even sure for what.

There were tears in her eyes, her beautiful golden eyes and he so badly wanted to wipe them away. If for no other reason than to touch her.

"I... I don't know what to say, Ava," he finally admitted. Honesty was the best policy with her most of the time.

She shook her head and then looked at him. "How long?"

"What?" He knew exactly what she meant, he was trying to buy time and she knew that. When she turned around he changed his mind. He needed her to stay. "Wait! A couple of months." She nailed him down with his eyes. "... of sex."

"Before that?"

He wanted to swallow his own tongue, he knew that every fucking word he was saying was breaking her a little more but it was this or she would walk out again. "Blow jobs, just... blow jobs for a couple of months."

She was holding her hand over her heart, like she was trying to massage it while sobbing and he... hated himself. He was afraid to ask and he still had to.

"Are you leaving me?" The look in her eyes of complete disgust and despair made him want to trash shit. It was obvious that she wanted to leave him but she wasn't sure she could. He could literary feel his heart stop for a second and he took a deep breath. He didn't have a damn clue how to deal with this, how he could stop her. What to do or say to change her mind. "Ava..." he manage to whisper and the sobs got louder and this time he wanted to shoot himself.

He loved her, he had never loved anyone the way he loved her, she was his beautiful, soft and loving woman and he had turned her into this... mess.

"Ava, please..."

"Don't... say anything else." She could barely get the words out of her mouth and hid her face in her hands.

He hesitated for a second before moving up to her and put his arms around her. That made her cry even worse and he hugged her tighter, stroke her hair and put his mouth to her ear.

"I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

He hadn't thought she could cry any harder but when she sank to her knees he followed her and kept holding her.

A part of him hoped that she left him, if for no other reason than that he had tuned a strong woman into this... pile on the floor. He really wanted to shoot himself.

-o0o-

Ava was sitting in the kitchen when Grace came.

"What's wrong, mom?"

"Nothing. It's ok, honey."

"Your'e lying."

Ava shook her head with a smile. "Sometimes you need to let things slide, baby." She stroke her hair. "Sometimes it's just that people aren't ready to talk about it or that they don't want to."

"Ok. I love you, mom."

"That's a good thing to say." She gave Grace a hug.

-o0o-

The discussions had pretty much been the same the last weeks but he didn't argue about that. If it meant that he had even a remote chance of keeping her he'd talk about whatever the hell she wanted to talk about.

"How do I forgive this?"

"I don't know." He wanted to hug her. She looked like she needed a hug and she probably did. Only not from him. Every attempt from his side to touch her since that first night had resulted in her shoving him away and at the moment he couldn't take more of that.

"How would you forgive that? If I did that."

That was easy. He'd go on a fucking killing spree. Kill anyone who'd ever fucking touch her but he couldn't say that. "I don't know."

-o0o-

Ava had a hard time focusing on work. To say the least. At the same time this is where she loved to be at the moment.

She hadn't talked to anyone. She wasn't sure who she wanted to talk to. Gemma would say that it came with the territory. 'What happens on a run stays on a run but'. Ava didn't want to accept that. Tara would tell her to shoot him in the leg on her way out the door. Probably something like that at least. She'd tell her to leave. Especially if she told him exactly how he had cheated on her.

It was also the fact that she felt embarrassed. She knew logically that she didn't have anything to be embarrassed about. It wasn't her fault. She still felt it though.

She caught herself looking around at the café or the lunch place, wondering how many of them that had been cheating on someone.

When they had a meeting at school she looked at all the couples and wondered how many of them that really were happy and how many of them were standing there, next to each other, smiling at each other, just like she and Happy was at the moment and at the same time wondered if their husbands sounded the same when they orgasmed with some other bitch. The way she was at that moment.

After some time had passed she realized that Happy was extremely patient with her. She threw shit at him as she had never done before and he just took it. And when she finally asked him why he looked at her and shrugged.

"Whatever you need to do to stay with me."

"Why. If you want me why did you do this."

"I don't know."

He wasn't honest but she needed to know why. That was the only thing he hadn't told her. "Dont' lie, Happy. Tell me why."

But he just shook his head.

-o0o-

Happy didn't cry. Last time he'd cried was when Lemmy was born and only he knew about that time. When he cried before that... he couldn't fucking remember. Because he didn't cry.

He took rides. Long rides out in the woods and then he shot at things. Any fucking thing. He went up to the cabin and chopped wood. Loads of fucking wood. No one would have to chop wood at that place for a long time. Judging by the amount of fire wood that was already in that shed he wasn't the only one who chopped wood when shit got to him.

She kept asking him 'why', because _now_ that was important, and he couldn't tell her. How did he tell her that he all of a sudden doubted all of that shit. That he all of a sudden didn't want any of it and just wanted to be his old self again. And now that he was very close to getting it realized that he made a mistake. Made him sound like some fucking idiot.

He went up in the ring every fucking chance he got. The bigger the guy, the better. One Friday Quinn was there and he even challenged him.

Quinn took one look at him.

"What did you do?"

"What?"

"If you want me in the ring you've got some serious shit you need to get out of your system."

"Forget it," he said and walked out. Quinn wasn't that easy to get rid of and before he knew it, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a corner.

"You need to get it out because shit like that messes with the rest of it as well and you need to be able to stay focused."

"I'm focused!" Who the fuck did Quinn think he was? He was focused, he was all in, he took club shit serious.

"Sure you are. Where are you going next week?" Happy choked. He had no fucking idea what Quinn even talked about and Quinn knew it. "So, what the fuck is going on?"

"I fucked up."

"How?"

"With Ava."

"I figured that much. What did you do?"

This was a bit harder. "I cheated on her."

Quinn was quiet for a while. "With someone in Charming?"

"No. Just..." he was a bit embarrassed about admitting it. Quinn fucked around when he felt like it and he wasn't sure he'd understand. "I was going to stick to her. I told her that."

"Really? You said that?" The man looked stunned. "Sorry... just..." then he laughed. "I'm sorry. You were just the last one I thought would do that."

"Glad I can amuse you."

"Sorry. Really. I'm guessing she found out."

Happy was quite. "I think... I think she's halfway through the door."

Quinn smiled and shook his head. "Not a shot in hell that she is. No fucking way."

"How the fuck do you know?"

"I know, brother." Quinn was still smiling. "Give her time. She just needs to wrap her head around shit. She'll forgive you. I wouldn't count on her doing it twice though so keep that dick in your pants from now on."

Even if he wad glad someone thought Ava might forgive him he still didn't fell that convinced. Not at all. Shit, they'd argued every time they saw each other and Grace wan't around for the last three weeks. Or argued. She cried and he tried to say he was sorry. The last two days she didn't even do that. She didn't say shit to him.

"I still need a dance."

"I'll give you a dance. You'll get that shit out." Quinn put his arm around him. "How many times?"

"How many times, what?"

"Did you cheat on her."

"I don't know." Why did that matter.

"Just picked up with the sweatbutts? Like an old habit?"

"Something like that. Why do you wanna know how many?"

"I'm gonna hit once for every time you put that dick where it shouldn't have been."

Happy stopped and stared at him. "Why the fuck do you care?"

"I don't. I don't give a shit. But you do and I thought I should help you out."

Happy sighed. Quinn was right. He cared and he was with a guy he could admit that too and who didn't judge shit. Not considering his history with Lisa.

When he came home that night Ava looked up when he turned on the lights in the bedroom.

"Shut the lights."

"Fucks sake, give me a sec." He just needed to find his stuff.

She turned around, probably to say something mean but swallowed whatever it was. "Jesus, Happy. What happened to you?"

"Quinn." He tried to take of his clothes as painlessly as possible. It wasn't working, it hurt like hell.

"Why?"

"Teach me a lesson."

"A lesson? What are you talking about?" Happy just gave her a look. She'd understand he could see when she did. "Why does he care about that?"

"He doesn't." He laid down in the bed next to her and waited for her to turn around but she didn't. She looked at his face. He looked like shit and he knew it. Quinn had really done a number on him.

"Explain," she said.

"To help me. So I remember it next time and to help me get some shit out of my system."

She nodded and turned around to get to sleep. He looked at the back of her neck for a long time. Her brown hair and the t-shirt that was hiding her back. Once she was asleep he leaned closer and carefully kissed her beneath her ear and inhaled her scent. He really hoped that Quinn was right.

-o0o-

Ava tried again. She worked him up until he was about to break and then she asked again.

"Just tell me why. And don't lie, be honest. Tell me why."

He stared at her with clenched fists and finally he yelled. "I freaked out!"

"Freaked out?"

"I panicked!"

"About what?" He didn't answer. He just looked at her with those black eyes. "About what, Happy?"

"THIS! All of this. A wife, a house, kids, cage..." he trailed off.

"The cage?"

"The car, Ava." He sighed. "I mean the car"

"I know that 'cage' is the car but what does the fucking car have to do with anything?"

"It's just... this..." He took a deep breath. "This isn't me. I'm a fucking biker. I don't fucking mow the lawn."

Was he out of his fucking mind? "I never asked you to. I hired the neighbor kid for that."

"I know! That's not the fucking point, Ava. This isn't me. I'm not a family man!"

He wasn't looking at her anymore. She dried her cheeks and looked at him. She understood now. It didn't mean that she forgave him, that she felt sorry for him or thought that what he had done was anymore ok. But she understood why. It didn't excuse it but it explained it. And she needed an explanation.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain her voice before she spoke. But when she was about to start she had no idea what to say. She'd thought he was trying to get her back, to get her to stay. He had asked her that so many times but now he was... saying, what? That this wasn't him. That he wanted end it.

The thought of loosing him was unbearable but the though of just forgiving him was equally unbearable. Having sex with him... she couldn't even think about that.

But she loved that man like she had never loved anyone. The things he had done for her, the person she was today because of him, that wasn't something she could just ignore. The tears were running down her cheeks again and he was still not looking at her. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen and stared into nothing.

"If you want to end..." she swallowed the last part of the sentence and his eyes flew up from the floor end met hers, "If you want to end this. I understand. I won't make it difficult for you or try to take full custody of the kids or anything like that." Towards the end of the sentence her voice broke but she managed to finnish it before she sobbed again.

He just started at her and she could see the panic building in him before he took long steps towards her and caressed her face. "No! No, Ava. I didn't mean... No! I can't..."

Happy had no fucking idea how to finnish that sentence. Sure he had missed all those things but at the moment he was still terrified of losing Ava. He hadn't really thought any further than the fact that he wasn't a family man. And until now he hadn't fully realized that the alternative was to leave Ava. To... leave her and she could find... There was no in between. It was this or go back to living at the clubhouse, or some shitty apartment. And no Ava. Why the fuck hadn't he thought about that a long time ago?

He needed her. From the second she found those condoms he knew that he wanted her to stay, no be with him, to be his. He didn't give a shit about those things that were so important just a few weeks ago.

"I... I fucked up. But like I've been saying all this fucking time. I want you to stay with me. I want you. I panicked but I don't... want that anymore. I want you."

"You can't have both. You cant... you can't have me and them." She took a step back. "You can't have all those parts of the biker life and a family and I don't mean that you can't have the club."

"I know you don't."

"Because I'm not arguing about that and you know that."

"I know, babe."

"Don't call me that!" That was very close to a scream and while she said it she tore his hands from her face. "I'm just saying you can't have everything."

She was still crying, the tears didn't stop and it was killing him. How could he do this to her? What the fuck was he thinking other than getting a blow job or getting laid. Easy. He wasn't. He just fucking panicked and now he realized that he didn't actually want all those things he'd thought he wanted. He might not fully want all this 'family man'- shit either but he wanted parts of it. He wanted Ava. He didn't want anyone but her.

She wasn't looking at him anymore. Her arms were wrapped around her and he wanted to hug her. More than anything right now he wanted to hug her because it looked like she needed a hug.

"Ava... I'm sorry."

She looked up at him again and she just looked tired, her cheeks were wet and tears were still falling. She shook her head. "Sorry doesn't make it right, Happy."

-o0o-

Grace looked between her mom and Happy. They were fighting. They had been fighting for a really long time and it didn't look good at all. Her mom was so angry and even if Grace didn't know why she knew that Happy had done something wrong. Something really wrong because he was scared and he looked ashamed.

She looked down on her plate. She was worried. If they... divorced she wasn't sure what would happen. They'd been to the judge just when Lemmy was born and they got a paper that said that Happy was her dad. The judge explained that she was his responsibility and that he had to take care of her now.

But Grace still knew it wasn't really the same as with Lemmy. He never made it fell like it was different between them. He said that she was his daughter and all. But it didn't change the fact that he wasn't her _real_ dad. Not like he was Lemmy's dad.

And what did that mean if they got divorced? Would he still... be there for her? Or would he just be there for Lemmy.

Lemmy called Happy 'dad'. She'd done that a couple of times by mistake. He'd never said anything when she did and she just pretended to not noticed. He'd smiled and it looked as if he liked it.

She looked at Happy and he smiled at her and stroke her cheek.

"You ok, Sugar?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

She wanted to call him dad. She wanted him to stay with them but if he couldn't or didn't want to she still wanted him to understand that she needed him and that she... thought about him as her dad. That when she thought about him she often thought 'dad' not 'Happy'. And maybe if she sait that he'd stay with her or at least kept in contact with her if he left.

Or if her mom took her with her. Cause her mom was much angrier than Happy was.

-o0o-

Leon was sick, it was a cold and it was pretty bad. He was whiney and bery cuddly. He wanted to be near her all the time and at the moment she wasn't complaining. She needed someone close.

They hadn't talked for days. They had pretty much said all that could be said and now Ava was just trying to make up her mind. Or rather defend her decision.

She couldn't say that she had never seen herself as the kind of woman who stayed with a man who cheated on her because she'd already done that once. She'd stayed with a man who did a hell of a lot worse things than fucking other women.

But she had hoped that she never had to make that decision again. What kind of a woman, wife and mother she was. After weeks of arguing and talking she had a pretty good picture of how it had happened.

He panicked and she withdrew as a result of Leon. Having a baby tended to steal away focus from anything else. It wasn't an excuse. At all. Normal men jerked off. Or normal, but most men did at least.

She'd been very skeptical when he suggested another kid. She wanted one but hadn't thought he could handle it and she was right. He couldn't. It was too big of a change for him much to fast. Buying the house didn't help at all. Again, that wasn't an excuse but an explanation.

At the moment they were in the kitchens. She was cleaning up and Happy was trying to lure Leon into eating something. He was spending a lot of time at home which surprised her. Especially the last week since they hadn't said many words to each other at all. He was still around and quite often when she turned around or looked up she noticed him looking at her. Studied her and she knew why. He was trying to figure out what she was going to do but was afraid to ask.

When she turned around this time he wasn't looking at her though. He was looking at Leon and he looked worried. He picked him up from the chair and took him in his lap.

"Come on, Kiddo. Drink a little for me. It'll make you feel better." Leon whined and protested. "If you get to sit on the table and drink. Would that be ok?"

Leon was a table kid. It was really weird but he loved to sit at the table or the counter in the kitchen and just watch them all. Happy didn't think it was weird at all. 'Kid want's to see properly. Got the best view from there.'

So when Happy suggested that, Leon nodded and climbed up on the table, right in front of Happy and had a big smile on his face. He took the bottle and drank from it eagerly.

"That's my boy," Happy said and leaned forward and kissed his red cheek. "Fucking hell you're warm kiddo." He turned towards her. "Did you give him something?"

"Should kick in soon," she answered and Happy turned towards Leon again.

"Hear that, Lemmy? Drink that and you'll feel better soon." Leon was still drinking and smiled at Happy when he leaned over and put his arms around him and leaned his head on the shoulder.

That's when she made up her mind. It was painful. What he had done had hurt her more that she'd ever thought was possible. But just the thought of leaving him hurt her even more. She loved him.

Sometimes that was what it boiled down to, what would hurt most? Right now it hurt more to be without him than to be with him. If he kept fucking up that would change but not now.

She couldn't say for sure if he'd ever do it again but judging from his behavior the last weeks, he wouldn't. He had been genuinely scared that she'd leave. He had begged her to stay, to not leave him.

Having sex with him was still something that would feel a bit weird and she was still angry at him but she owed him another chance. At least that's how it felt to her.

"I can take him if you want," she said and Happy turned around with Leon still on his shoulder. "I'll take a nap with him on the couch."

He nodded as a response, got up form the chair and handed over Lemmy.

She contemplated on saying something nice but instead she shook her head and carried Leon into the living room.

"Is it ok if I watch TV?"

She shrugged. "Not too loud."

It didn't take her long to fall asleep. Maybe it was the fact that she finally made up her mind that made her extreemly tired. Just as she dosed off she promised herself she'd talk to him later that night.

When she woke up she heard Grace. "I know you're not my real dad and all..."

Then Happy interrupting her. "I'm your real dad, Sugar. In all the ways that count."

She didn't know if Happy understood why Grace was asking right now if she could call him dad but Ava did. Grace was worried, she knew something was wrong and she was making sure that Happy wouldn't leave her. That wasn't all, she'd been wanting to call Happy 'dad' for a long time but hadn't dared to ask.

Ava wished that Grace had asked her. She would've told her that no matter what, HAppy wouldn't have left her. No matter how they fucked up, to Happy, Grace was his daughter. He always talked about her as his 'kid' or 'my daughter' when he introduced her to others.

She listened to the rest of their talk. It was very rare that she got to hear them and she loved this. They were so effortless with each other. And so close to each other. Happy was right; he was Grace's dad in all the ways that counted.

Once Grace had run away to get her helmet she heard a deep sigh from Happy and she felt a tug in her heart. She remembers him explaining the first time he told her he loved her, when he was piss drunk and stumbled in, trying to have a fight with her and ended up saying that instead. How he had been unable to stop it, that he had to say it to not burst. Obviously he had told her that story when he was quite drunk as well but that was the only time he was able to tell her stuff like that.

She understood now what he meant. That was how it felt for her now and she smiled to herself before saying it out loud.

"I love you."

* * *

_I know that quite a few of you was horrified at the last chapter and the idea that Happy had cheated on Ava. I did that for a lot of reasons. The main being that I didn't see the transition from an all in biker to a biker/family man as something that could've been easy for Happy._

_Another being that having a baby really can mess with a relationship, especially one that's as new as theirs actually were._

_To a man like Happy this seemed like the natural way to handle it. He's very much a man of action rather than words. I also think that the wake up call of realizing that Ava could leave him would be what he needed to stay faithfull and stay with her. Also it was what he needed to realize that he needed her as much as she needs him._

_It might be cruel of me, I admit but it forced Happy to decided what it was he wanted and who he wanted to be. A bit late in life maybe but on the other hand there are quite a few similarities between single bikers and frat house boys._

_So. I hope you're not to pissed at me and please let me know what you think._


	14. That's Her Dad

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_The response to the last chapter her blew me away! And I was especailly glad that you all seemed to agree with me on why it was necissary. Being a person who loves to play with the readers feelings I was delighted how emotional I managed to get quite a few of you. I'm sorry and not sorry at the same time._

_There was a guest review that was really amazing, a super special thank you for it and I wish I could reply to it better than this cause you're worth it. But THANK YOU!_

_So, one more chapter that I wanted to get up there before the next chapter of Crooked Rain. Nothing as emotional as the last one. I promise. Grace is fifteen in this story._

* * *

**That's her dad**

Grace was in the principals office again. It had actually been like two years since the last time and thankfully it was a new principal this time. Some little blond, Mrs. Wilkes. Grace's nose hurt like a motherfucker, the ribs hurt as well and her lip was swollen. She'd taken a beating but it was worth it.

To make things really shit, her mom wasn't in town. She was in Seattle for some children's book thing. Or something. Grace wasn't sure. So instead they'd called her dad and he was on his way.

"So Miss. Lowman. What does your father do?"

Grace cringed. Her _father_ was dead. Her _dad_ on the other hand... he killed people on occasion. Her father among those people. Unfortunately not stupid, blond principals who didn't know shit about what was going on at the school she was supposedly running.

"He's a mechanic." That was the easiest to say. It was kind of true.

She heard her dad's voice at the reception. True to his nature he wasn't – like - _explaining_ stuff. He just said what he wanted. 'See the principal' in this case, and the receptionist sounded a bit... stressed. Grace bit down in her cheeks to not smile. The pain in her lip made it easier to hide.

The voices were clear even through the closed door.

"_You can't just walk in there!"_

"_Then why the fuck did she call?" _He was pissed and Grace wondered if it was because of her, the principal or the fact that he had to be here for this. He didn't like school stuff.

The principal stood up. "I should probably go and see what this is about," she said with a smile.

"It's my dad." Grace bit her cheeks again when the principals eyes flew open, she looked towards the door.

Impressively enough, the eyes got even bigger when Happy walked thought the door. In his regular outfit and Grace loved him for it. He could've come in the work clothes but no; jeans, cut and knife in the belt. He probably had the gun as well.

"M-m-mr. Lowman?"

"Yeah," he said as he sat down on the chair next to Grace. When he looked at her she could see his eyes grew even more black. The principal was still standing up, staring at Happy and he looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing." She sat down and cleared her throat. "I called you since Miss. Lowman was in a physical altercation today."

"What happened to your face?" Happy ignored the principal and looked at Grace.

She shrugged.

"According to the other student Grace attacked him first." The principal said and flipped through some pages. "And it's not the first time she's in a fight."

Mrs. Wilkes looked up at Happy again and this time she blushed. What the fuck! Grace turned to her dad and smiled. He looked at her and shook his head in a warning. Again; what the fuck! Happy turned his head towards the little blond again. He didn't say anything.

Her dad wasn't much for talking but this was more quiet that he usually was and that principal looked really uncomfortable.

"Miss. Lowman hasn't given any explanation to why she did it."

"What did she do?"

"She assaulted another boy with a tennis racket."

Happy turned to her again with raised eyebrows. "Why?"

Grace looked at him and shook her head. "I'm not a rat."

"Tell _me_," he said. Not in an angry way. Just as a matter of factually that it wasn't ratting anoyone out and that it was ok to talk. She didn't fully agree but she did what he asked her to.

"They were going to push Marcus down the steep slope outside gymnasium."

"Explain," he said. His way of saying he wanted the details to understand why she did it.

"Marcus. He's in a wheelchair. They thought it would be hilarious to see if would be able to stop it before he got to the road." She was still only looking at Happy and he nodded so she continued. "So I hit one of the guys over the leg. Then they attacked me."

"How many?"

"Three." She was still looking just at her dad. She was no fucking rat and she didn't like this even if he said it was ok.

She could see her dad's jaws working and his eyes were really fucking black. He was pissed as hell but it wasn't at her. He turned to the principal.

Once his eyes were on her she blushed and stuttered. "I-I-I didn't know."

"Now you do." His jaws were still tense. "So?"

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Wilkes said she was sweating now when she looked at Happy. Grace was starting to suspect that this wasn't the first time she met him.

"Are you going to suspend her for defending a boy in a wheelchair or for getting beaten up?"

"I'm going to.. have to look into that."

Her dad stood up and took Grace with him. "Call my wife when you've done that."

Happy was pissed as hell and he was trying to convince himself that killing three school-boys wasn't a good idea. He had managed to convince himself several times but every time he saw his daughters face he changed his mind. Her nose was swollen and she'd probably have two black eyes the next day. The split in her lip probably hurt as well too.

The school called him while he was at work and he asked Gemma to go get Lemmy at daycare. He'd been pissed at Grace until he saw her, then he saw the principal. Mrs. Wilkes. He used to know her as Sandy and as far as he could remember she was very, very good at sucking dick.

"You knew her," Grace said and when he looked at her she had a slight smile on her lips.

"Not really."

"I meant in a biblical sense."

"Biblical?" Happy didn't know shit about the bible and turned to look at Grace again. She looked really smug and he had a feeling that she knew exactly how he knew 'Sandy'.

"Means you've had sex with her." He didn't answer and kept walking. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"She was a croweater," he confirmed.

Grace giggled. "No wonder she freaked out when you came in."

He turned around in front of her and was going to tell her to mind her own business but when he saw her expression, he stared at her and then he laughed. "She really did, didn't she?"

They both laughed and then he pulled Grace with him to a bench. "Tell me all the shit you didn't say in there."

"I don't really know Marcus, the guy in the wheel chair, but he's a nice guy. As far as I know. He was really freaking out." She shook her head. "It was three popular jocks so everyone just past them and Markus was screaming. It pissed me off."

"Did you land a few hits on them?"

She smiled when she looked at him. "Oh, yeah. I probably look worse but I got a couple of hits."

He gave her a kiss. "That's my daughter." He was proud of her, not just for being able to defend herself but for her defending that guy in a wheelchair as well. Grace was all about defending the weaker part in a fight. She didn't like bullies or people who picked on others for their differences. He liked that part about her. He just wished she didn't always do it so violently or tried to tell some grown up. But like she'd said in the principals office; she didn't rat. He was kind of proud about that too.

"Any chance you could leave this and not like... threaten them or something." Happy was quiet for a while. He wasn't sure he could do that. They fucking hit his Baby Girl! "Dad! Please!"

"Ok. I won't touch them or say anything." He meant it. "If you promise to shut your mouth about your principal."

Grace laughed. "Seriously dad, if I was gonna point out every girl you know in a biblical sense I'd get carpel tunnel syndrome or something."

"Shut your mouth." He pushed her in the side but smiled.

In a way he liked that Grace didn't have any illusions about him. She loved him just the way he was and used to be. It didn't bother her. In other ways he wished she didn't know all that. But growing up a the club being Tig's partner in crime, she was bound to figure out all about sweetbutts and how that worked.

"Am I wrong?"

"Not going to answer that."

"Don't worry about it. Could've been worse. I could've had the skank-bulldozer-Tig as a dad."

Happy shook his head and gave his daughter a kiss. The mentioning of Tig gave him an idea though.

-o0o-

Two days later he was on his bike outside the school. Grace was at home and looked like a fucking raccoon. He still got pissed as hell every time he saw her and when he'd seen her bruised ribcage he was about to fucking explode. Those fuckers had kicked her!

"Look at that," Tig said and pointed towards three guys with some bruising in their face. They looked like they were a couple of years older than Grace and to his and Tig's luck, they all jumped into a car together.

When they took off they followed and once they turned into an empty street he cut them off and Tig got off his bike and yanked up the door.

"Hi there," Tig said as he pulled out the driver. Happy felt very proud of his Baby Girl when he saw his bruised cheek. "Two days ago you three stunning lads beat up a little girl."

The boy looked terrified. "She hit me first."

Happy had to swallow a laugh. That was the most pathetic thing he'd ever heard. They guy seriously defended himself by saying that a little girl 'hit him first'. Fucking asshole.

"I know," Tig said with a nod. "I just wanted to tell you that if anyone of you three stooges look at her again. I'll come after you."

"W-w-who are you?"

"I'm her friend," Tig said with a smile. Then he pointed at Happy. "That's her dad."

Happy didn't move, just kept his foot on the fender of the car. The boy looked at him with big eyes and the boys in the car looked terrified as well.

"We won't touch her."

Tig let go of the boys shirt, smoothed the wrinkles out a little while taking a deep breath before patting him on his cheek. "I know you won't. Have a good day."

They watched them take off then they both laughed. Tig put his arm around Happy.

"That was fun," Tig smiled. "I almost hope they do it again."

He had almost convinced himself keep his promise to Grace, but then he talked to Ava. She went into total tigress-mode and said that they didn't have to touch 'those assholes to scare the living shit outta them' and that they should make sure that those 'pathetic future frat-boys learned a lesson about what happened to boys who beat up little girls'.

Now and then his wife still surprised him and loved that about her.

At the same time, he kept his promise to Grace. He hadn't said anything and he hadn't touched them. All he did was tell Tig - who loved Grace almost as much as he did and who wasn't above scaring school-boys. Grace would probably consider it cheating but he didn't care. No-one laid a hand on his baby and got away with it and if it meant doing something she considered cheating he could live with that. Easily.


	15. I'll Think About It

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_I know I'm supposed to reply to all your wonderful reviews but this popped up in my head instead. I've had a very productive weekend. And I'm out of coffee. _

_I'm sure you'll forgive me and you know I'll reply soon. I also thought you might need some cheering up since I've slapped some heavy stuff on you lately._

* * *

**I'll Think About It**

Happy had a problem. A huge problem and he wasn't really sure how to solve it. He'd been on edge for days, desperately trying to figure out how to fix it without... coming off as a complete asshole.

He looked around the clubhouse and his eyes fell on Tig and Bobby, playing poker with Filthy Phil. That was a solution. He emptied his beer and went over to sit down at their table.

"Got any plans for tomorrow?" They all shook their heads. "Wanna come over to my house and play some card?"

Tig turned around and looked at him with a big smile. Tig knew exactly what Happy was doing. "Think Ava'll make those little cheese pies?" he said but didn't comment on why they were invited.

"I'll ask her."

"Beer?" Bobby asked and Happy nodded. He'd get them beer.

He turned to Phil. "I'm sure she's got lasagna in the fridge too."

"You got me with those cheese pies," Phil threw some cards on the table.

-o0o-

When he came home he found Ava on her belly in bed, reading, as usual. He laid down on top of her and kissed her neck.

"Think you can make those small cheese pies tomorrow?"

"Why?" she said absently.

"Some of the guys are coming over to play poker."

He hoped that Ava wouldn't say anything and if he just laid still, she couldn't move either. She tried to anyway and noticed that he wasn't budging while still kissing her neck. He was hoping she'd get horny, or something.

It worked, until he felt her elbow connect to his ribs.

"Aoch, what the fuck, Ava!" He laid down laughing next to her.

"Don't try with me," she said when she turned around and straddled him. "You serious?"

"What?"

He watched as she reached behind her and felt her literary grab his balls with a smile and that teasing shine in her eyes. "Wanna try again?"

"Depends on if your planning on squeezing or fondling."

She laughed and leaned over him. "Thought I'd go for something in between." She licked his chin. "Be nice, Happy."

"I'm nice."

"No you're not but can you at least try to behave?"

"I won't say a word."

She looked at him and nodded. "That's when you're really creepy you know."

"Creepy?"

"Scary? Intimidating? Daunting?"

He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her down before flipping her around. Hovering over her he smiled and looked into her eyes. "Whatta you got under those sweatpants?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Skin."

-o0o-

They were all around the table in the kitchen. Ava was putting Lemmy to bed when Grace walked inside. She halted and stared at the scene in front of her.

"Dad!"

"What?"

"Oh, come on. Like you just accidentally invited half the club for poker today!"

"It's not half the club."

"I _hate _you!" she yelled and ran upstairs.

"What was that about?" Phil said and Tig laughed.

Happy shrugged, "she's a teenager, she hates me all the fucking time."

Tig laughed again and Happy glared at him.

Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang, he looked up at Tig. "Wanna take that?"

"Oh, yeah!" he said with a big smile and got up.

Happy put down the cards and got up just after him but halted when he saw Ava coming in through the other door to the kitchen. She smiled at him.

"You are such an ass."

"What the fuck is going on?" Bobby said and looked between the smiling couple.

"Grace got a date," Ava said, still looking at Happy with a smile.

"Really?" Phil said and got up. "And you're sending Tig to the door? This is so awesome, I gotta hear this."

Bobby shook his head and looked at Happy. "She's right, you're an ass."

He shrugged again and followed Phil out to the hallway. He didn't give a shit. His girls was fifteen and... he didn't like it. He didn't like the guy either. Some fucking jock.

"Are you her dad?" He heard from behind the door.

"Nah, I'm her uncle," Tig said and opened the door wider so the kid would be able to see him and Phil. "That's her dad."

"W-w-wich one?"

"The one with tattoos," Happy had to make a real effort not to laugh at that when the punk's eyes went between his and Phil's arms. "If you wait here, I'll go and get her."

"O-o-ok."

Tig walked over to the stairs, put up his foot on the lowest step and while looking at the kid he yelled. "Sunshine! Someone here to see you." He kept looking at the kid with a chilly smile. "She's my favorite girl in the world."

"Oh," he managed to say after a deep swallow.

Tig looked at Phil with an even bigger smile. "Isn't she just your favorite girl in the world too?"

"Yeah. Love her to bits," Phil said and nodded while looking at the kid and Happy was getting seriously worried that he'd pee on that carpet Ava loved so much.

"And we know that just Happy loves her to _death_."

"W-w-who's Happy?"

"I am," he said and he wasn't smiling, he just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.

He heard the rumble when Grace rand down the stairs. "Jeremy!" she said once she was down the stairs. She looked around the room and the eye she was giving him told him he'd been on her shitlist for weeks over this. Looking at the terrified kid by the door he concluded that it was worth it.

"Come on," she finally said and took the kid's arm to get him outside.

"Bye, love!" Tig yelled behind her.

Once the door was closed all three of them looked at each other for a few seconds before they started laughing.

Ava came out shaking her head. "You're _all_ assholes!"

Tig walked up to her and put his arms around her shoulder. "Didn't see you stopping us."

"I would never stop you in the middle of such a performance," she said with a big smile. "You're still an asshole."

"I know." He kissed her cheek. "Got anymore of those cheese pies?"

When she passed him she let go of Tig and put her arms around his waist. "You know she's gonna be so pissed."

"I know," he gave her a kiss and lowered his voice, "still love me?"

She just smiled and pinched his ass before turning around to Tig. "I'll get you some more pies," thens he looked at Phil, "I think I got some chilli for you if you'd like some."

He watched Ava take them back into the kitchen. She was great that way, they were all welcome at any time and she always had something for them. Basically the perfect Old Lady. He followed her and sat down at the table again. Bobby shook his head with a smile and chuckled a little.

"You're lucky she's such a nice woman."

"I know." He looked at Ava over at the fridge handing Phil some cans with frozen food. He knew he was.

-o0o-

Grace was home at ten, just like Ava had told her to be and he was waiting for her in the living room while watching TV.

She stepped inside and when she saw him she halted for a second before throwing herself down in the couch next to him and threw her bag on the floor.

"How was the date?" He asked with his eyes still on the TV.

"Bad."

He was still not looking at her when he continued. "Since you're talking to me I'm guessing it wasn't my fault."

"No."

When he felt her move close to him he put his arm around her and kissed her hair. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Want me to kill him?"

She was quiet for a while and then sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Let me know what you decide."

He felt her arms around his waist and she hugged him. "Love you, dad."

It must've been a really shitty date but he didn't comment on it, he'd bring it up next session instead, he just handed her the remote. "Love you too, Sugar."


	16. That Equipment

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_I know most of you are really eager for the next 'Crooked Rain' chapter and it's on its way, meanwhile I came up with this. _

_Thank you so much for all your support and for Reviews, favs and follows._

* * *

**That... Equipment**

Ava walked into the house holding Leon's hand. She couldn't hear a sound but she still yelled as threw her bag on the floor.

"Happy!" No answer. She knelt down in front of Leon and started to take off his jacket. "Do you think your sister is home?"

He nodded, "We can scream."

"Ok, you scream with me on three? One... two... Grace!" They screamed Grace's name together and Leon giggled.

Still no answer. "She's not here."

"Doesn't look like it," she sighed. "Come on, let's start dinner and then we'll try to call them. She's probably with Peter."

"Daddy?"

"Probably still at work. I'll call him first."

She went into the kitchen and Leon ran off to play. She picked up the phone and called Happy.

"_Babe, all good?"_

"Yes, I just got home. Is Grace at the garage?"

"_No, she was here but said she had to go home."_

"Ok."

"_She's not there?" _Overprotective dad in action, Ava thought with a smile.

"No, she's probably with Peter, don't worry about it."

"_Call me if she's not home in an hour, she seemed a bit off."_

"Baby, don't worry."

"_Just call."_

"I'll call."

She continued with the dinner and once it was in the oven she went to find Leon. He was sitting in the hallway outside the bathroom upstairs.

"What are you doing here, honey?"

"Grace is crying."

"What?" Ava looked up a the door. "Is she in there?" Leon nodded and still looked worried. "Gracie, Sweetheart, are you in there?"

"Go away!" She heard from inside the bathroom.

Ava looked at Leon. "Why don't you to to your room. I'll take care of Grace, ok?"

He glared at her for a while and then he nodded and walked away. Ava stood and looked at the door for a while and tried to figure out what the hell this was about. She knocked on the door again.

"Grace, please talk to me." The only answer she got was low sobs. "Baby, your making me very worried here." There was still no answer and she started to look at the door, if there was anyway to open it. She wouldn't be able to kick it in, she would have to call Happy for that but she wanted that to be the last resort, it might scare Grace or just piss her off.

She tried to plead for a few more minutes and finally she leaned her forehead to the door, she was extremely worried by now. "Gracie if you don't open the door I'm going to have to call your dad and have him open it."

"NO!" Finally, some kind of reaction, "You can't call dad, please!"

"Then open the door honey and let's talk about it." There was a long silence and finally she heard the lock turn, she sighed in relief as she opened the door.

Grace's eyes were red ans swollen, she'd been crying for a long time, even her nose was red. Ava went inside and pulled her in for a hug.

"I-I-I'm bleeding."

"Are you hurt?" She leaned back to look at her.

"NO!" She got angry again and pushed Ava away. "You _know _what I mean." And when she said that Ava understood.

"Oh, honey. That's nothing to be upset about."

Grace stomped her foot in the floor. "I don't _want it!_"

"Come with me to the kitchen, lets sit down."

"NO!"

It wasn't often Grace was angry with her, that 'privilege' was most often Happy's and even if Ava hated it when they argued, she was kind of relived about it. Grace was a storm when she got worked up.

"Ok, we can sit here." She sat down on the floor and Grace sat down on the toilet. "Why is this making you so upset?"

"I don't know." Grace looked at her hands. "Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't but you've got nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I don't want anyone to know."

"It's no-one's business so just don't tell them."

She had a hunch that she knew what this was about. Grace was surrounded by men and guys, there wasn't much talk about periods there and if it was, mostly that you couldn't fuck a girl with it. Early on she had tried to shield Grace from all that talk but it was completely futile and guys didn't like bleeding women. Maybe with the exception of Tig.

The other side was the girls in her school who bragged about it and that was the girls that Grace hated.

"Honey, we won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Ok."

They sat in silence again and she took Grace's hands, she slid down from the seat and into Ava's lap, it was as if she was trying to be a little girl again.

That's how Happy found them when he came home and got into the bathroom. He looked at Grace.

"Hey. Lemmy said you were crying."

"It's nothing, honey, go and take the food out of the oven." It was better if she could get him to leave before Grace exploded again.

Obviously he didn't listen and he walked inside. "Grace, did someone do something to you?"

Ava sighed, Happy was already working himself up.

"Honey, leave her alone."

"No, I'm not doing that. Baby Girl, what's wrong?" He knelt down next to her and Grace looked at him, Ava took a deep breath, this could get bad.

"I'm bleeding from my pussy, ok? Can you leave me alone now?"

Ava had to bite her cheeks and Happy looked like he'd swallowed a pineapple whole. "Oh!"

"Yeah, oh! Get out!" Grace said and Happy swallowed a couple of times before he got up and backed out of the bathroom, still with big eyes and an utterly shocked look.

He closed the door and Ava tried but finally she started to laugh. "I'm sorry but really..."

Grace started to laughed as well. "Did you see his face?"

"I did." She kissed her daughters cheek. "I love you, Grace."

"He's gonna look like that every time he looks at me for weeks. That's why I didn't want to tell him."

"Maybe you could've added some sugar to it when you said I or at least avoided the word pussy."

"I hate it when he does that, just don't go away even when I tell him to."

"Honey, you know him, if you're upset he just want's to make sure you're ok and seeing you all tearful is always going to set him off."

Grace hugged her. "Can I just got to my room?"

"Sure. I'll get you some food. Do you need painkillers?"

Grace nodded, "And some tea."

She kissed her cheek and they got up from the floor. "Go and lie down, if it hurts it can help to put a blanket around the stomach."

She followed her into the room and watched her lay down and put a blanket over her. As she was about to leave the room she heard almost whisper.

"Mom."

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll be back in a while."

She walked by Leon on the couch and gave him a kiss before continuing into the kitchen. She almost laughed when she saw Happy leaning against the counter. She walked up to him and put her arms around his waist.

"How are you doing, big guy?"

"Did she just say that to me?"

"She did." She looked up at him and smiled. "You're going to have to work very hard to forget that because if you look like that the next time she sees you she'll be heartbroken."

"What?"

"She didn't want you to know and I'm not surprised. The way you talk about women and period at the club, I can't really blame her." She moved her arms to around his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss. "So wipe that look off of your face or don't talk to her until you know you can do that."

"Ok. And?"

"And don't think about it and what it means."

"What it means?"

"That she technically can get knocked up."

The horror in his face made he laugh again and she ran off before he managed to collect himself. She didn't get far though and he caught her and pinned her to the freezer.

"Are you two trying to kill me today?" But he was smiling and leaned towards her.

"No, I was just trying to make you snap out of it."

"Thank you. You have better ways to calm me down."

"I do." She kissed him again. "It's not a big thing and she doesn't want it to change things between you two. She's worried."

"Why would it change things?"

"It shouldn't. So please keep doing what you're doing."

-o0o-

Happy looked down at Ava, sleeping next to him and kissed her forehead. She sighed in her sleep and hugged him closer. He turned towards her and carefully stroke her back for a while. Then he gave her another kiss and snuck out of the bed.

The first stop was in Lemmy's room and he closed the window and pulled up the cover. Then it was Grace's room. She was on her side, curled up with the cover between her legs and the cover hugged in her arms. He turned off her light and kissed her shoulder before going back to Ava.

When he woke up the next morning he found Ava in the kitchen and took a cup of coffee.

He sat down next to her and pulled her book away. She got that annoyed expression that she always did when he did that so he gave her a kiss.

"I'm thinking about taking her out for a ride."

"Good. Give me the book."

Happy smiled and held the book out of her reach. "Gonna cost ya'."

She glared at him. "A kiss?"

"Blow job."

"Now?" She got up and straddled his lap, rubbing up against him. "Stuff like that might've put me off track five years ago but I've been living with a perv since then."

"You've been living with Tig?"

"Got him in the closet. Like a little closet perv."

"Nothin' closet about his pervness." He grabbed her neck and kissed her. When she held his cheeks and rubbed her crotch against his and he was getting hard. "You better stop that, babe."

"Wanna give me my book?"

"You tease."

"Take our daughter on a ride and I'll rub up on you tonight."

-o0o-

She hadn't said a single word, not when he stepped into her room and threw her the helmet, not when they bough ice cream and not during the five minutes they'd been sitting on the bench.

"Grace..." that was how far he got before she interrupted him.

"If you tell me I'm a women now I'll slap you with this cone."

"Ehh, no!" That wasn't what he was going to say and he didn't even want to think about her as 'a woman'. "I was going to apologize for yesterday. I should've left you alone."

She rolled her eyes. "Like that's ever gonna happen if I'm upset."

"No. it's not, but I can still apologize for when I don't."

They were quiet for a while and he held her close to him and kissed her head. She took a deep breath.

"Promise me you won't tell the others."

"I promise."

"No like; let's have a party my daughter is a women."

"People do that?" It sounded very fucked up to him.

"Some people." He saw the corner of her mouth lifting and he knew she had the same screwed up images in her head as he had.

"We could have a red velvet cake with the text 'Grace's pussy is bleeding'."

She burst into laughed and stared at him. "Dude! You didn't just say that."

"You said it to me."

"I was upset when I did and you just refereed to my.. ehhh... as a..."

"Don't... say it again. I'm fine with both of us pretending you don't have that... equipment."

"Dad! 'Equipment'?"

"Yeah, that area is like a black spot on a map for me."

She was about to say something and the she closed her mouth. She took another breath. "I think I'm gonna treat your 'equipment' the same way. Or like the anatomy of a Ken-doll."

He wasn't really sure what she meant by the doll-thing but it was probably something good. "Deal," he said and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

Grace was finally smiling again and he stroke her hair. She was growing up and it was... weird. He had tried to ignore the fact that she was getting... breasts. He had also spent the last twelve hours trying to ignore the fact that a they now could add PMS to her list of hormonal problems.

"Dad."

"Yes, Sugar."

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you, Sugar. You know that."

"And that I'll always be your Baby Girl."

"Always, that won't ever change."

"Even if I get like D-cups and an hourglass figure."

"Even then." He kissed her again. "You'll always be my baby girl."

"I love you too."

"And I'll always be your favorite biker."

"Obviously." She leaned her head against him and looked up to kiss his cheek. "You're my dad."


	17. Fishing Master

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX. _

_I've had quite a few of you asking for more Lemmy and especially Lemmy and Grace chapters. This is one that I've been thinking about for a while and I liked it. It's a short one but I think you'd approve of it anyway. Grace is fifteen.  
_

_As always, thank you for all you support and generally being amazing readers!_

* * *

**Fishing Master**

Grace was lying on the bank of the river with her jacked under her head and a book in her hands. It was 'A Room With A View'. Her mom had insisted that she read it but so far she found it quite boring. She didn't get it. The main character was a stuck up bitch. She assumed that this was one of those books were everything was so subtle and all of a sudden they revealed how they'd been feeling all along. It would require a second read for her to understand and she found even the first one though.

She sighed and rested the book on her stomach and looked at Peter and Lemmy who were standing a bit further away. The plan had been that she was going to fish with them but they'd only been able to find two fishing rods in Peter's garage and according to Peter this was a thing between men, so he was the one who should fish with Lemmy. The six year old Lemmy had laughed and nodded while grabbing Peter's hand. It was a thing between men.

Grace picked up the book again, with another deep sigh, and kept reading.

"Grace! I got one!" Lemmy yelled and Grace immediately threw down the book and ran towards them. When she reached him she saw a decent sized fish one, hanging at the end of the line. "What do I do now?" he asked.

She knelt down in front of him. "You unhook it."

"How?" Lemmy said with big eyes and looked at the fish flopping around.

"Want me to show you?"

Lemmy nodded so Grace grabbed the fish, unhooked it and put her thumb between the gills and broke the neck. Lemmy gasped.

"You killed it!"

Slightly confused, Grace looked at Lemmy. "Yes?"

"You _murdered_ the fish!" he yelled with a broken voice.

"Baby, what did you think I was going to do?"

"I don't know but not that!" By now he was whaling and big tears were running down his cheeks. He was still holding on to the rod with one hand and he lifted up the other to rub his eyes, almost hiding behind it.

"Lemmy, do you want a hug?" Grace asked. It was always hard to know with Lemmy. It was quite possible that he was mostly angry at her rather than sad. If that was the case a hug could drive him insane.

But it was about the fish and Lemmy nodded while sobbing. She reached for him and pulled him into her lap.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. I though you knew what I was going to do."

He was still sobbing, deep sobs that shook his entire little body and Grace felt really bad. She didn't mean to make him said.

"I thought we'd make a fire and grill it. I even brought some salt. I think you'd really like it."

The rod was still firmly gripped in his one hand and the other over his eyes but he nodded. "Ok."

"Wanna try and catch a couple more fishes?"

He was still for a while and then he took a deep breath and looked at her. "Ok, but I wanna close my eyes when you kill it."

"Ok," Grace said and gave him a kiss.

He got up again and walked over to Peter. "I'm ready."

"Good. I just saw some ripples on the surface over there so that's where we're gonna throw now. I'll bet you anything you'll be able to catch another one."

"Yeah?" His eyes and cheeks were still wet but he was smiling now.

"Sure. You caught one your first time. You're the fishing master."

"Fishing master Lemmy," he said and rolled up the line. "Where did you see it?"

-o0o-

Lemmy caught one more fish and Peter four. Grace killed, gutted and salted them before they grilled them over a fire. She'd done it loads of times with Peter but this was the first time Lemmy was with them.

There was a slight hesitation before he put the first piece in his mouth but eventually he loved it.

Before they left they put out the fire and poured loads of water on it to make sure it was completely dead. She showed Lemmy how to make sure and explained why it was so important. After leaving the rods and Peter at his house they walked home.

She was holding Lemmy's hand and it was a slow silent walk. It was late, they'd been outside most of the day and were both tired.

"I'm gonna tell mom and dad that I caught two fishes."

"You should. And you should be really proud, that's a really god result for a first timer."

"It is?"

"Very. I don't think me and Peter caught any fish in all of the first summer we fished."

"You didn't?" Lemmy laughed when Grace shook her head. "You sucked!"

"We sure did." That's when Lemmy halted. "What?"

He didn't answer but when she knelt down in front of him he looked at her with big, begging eyes.

"Don't tell dad that I cried when you killed the fish." He looked worried.

Grace took him in her arms and hugged him tight. "I won't."

"Promise!"

"I promise, kiddo." She held his shoulders and looked at him. "You were just surprised. It's not strange at all and dad wouldn't say anything about it."

"I don't want him to know. Or mom."

"I won't tell them. It's between you and me."

"Between sister and brother?"

"Absolutely. It's you and me and we always have each others back." She kissed his cheek. "And you can't tell mom that some of the fish gut spurted on the library book."

Lemmy giggled, "She'd flip."

"She would so you've got my back and I got yours."

He threw his arms around her neck. "I love you, Grace."

"Love you too, Lemmy. Thanks for coming with me today."

Later that night she heard Lemmy tell Happy all about their day, the fishes he'd caught and how good it tasted when he ate it. He didn't say anything about crying or fish gut on the library book. She met Happy at the door when she walked inside and he gave her a kiss.

When she laid down next to Lemmy he whispered. "I didn't say anything."

"I know you didn't. You know how to keep a secret."

She kissed him goodnight and when she was at the door he called for her.

"Can I come with you and Peter again?"

"You know it, Kiddo."

"I don't think fishing is a man-thing so maybe we can buy a third rod?"

"We'll do it tomorrow."

"You're the best big sister in the world."

"Good, that's what I promised you when you were born, Fishing Master."

Lemmy laughed and yawned. "I'm the fishing master."


	18. Less worried?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_There's been quite a few of you asking for a one shot taking place shortly after Ava found out that Happy was cheating. This is one of them. I'm not giving any promised but there might be more of them coming up._ _This one takes place **about three months after "Remember That."**_

* * *

**Less worried?**

Ava woke up with her heart in her throat by the screams coming from Grace's room down the hall. She was out of the bed in a second and ran towards her room. When she came inside Grace was sitting up, still screaming with tears running down her cheeks.

"Honey, it's fine. I'm here," she said as she sat down in the bed and put her arms around Grace. She hushed her and rocked her back and forth while still holding her. "It's ok, honey. You're safe."

That's when she heard the cries from Lemmy's room.

"I'm sorry, mom," Grace said with and looked so sorry.

"Don't be." She took Grace's hand. "Go into our bed and I'll bring Lemmy there as well."

"Where's Ha-Dad?" Grace was still just getting used to calling Happy dad and slipped up sometimes. It hadn't escaped Ava that Happy still got the biggest smile whenever she did.

"He's still in Rogue River."

He'd been there for four days. She didn't want to talk about it. It still stung and every time he'd left since she found out about him cheating she's felt sick. He knew that and he told her to not worry but she did. She walked into Lemmy's room, picked him up and carried him into the bedroom. Grace was already in bed on Happy's side and when Lemmy saw her he reached for her. He curled up next to her and Ava laid down on the other side of him, holding both her kids.

They soon calmed down and fell asleep but she couldn't. It had been enough trouble falling asleep the first time with all those clear visuals of Happy fucking some sweetbutt. Finally she caved in. He'd told her to call when she worried and he always knew when she had been and last time he'd almost been pissed about it. Pointing out that he was alone in the fucking bed and he wanted her to call instead of worrying.

She got out of the bed, picked up her phone and went down to the kitchen. While boiling the water she took a deep breath and called him. Hoping he was serious about wanting her to do that.

"_Hey, baby,"_ he said and it was quiet wherever he was.

"Hi." She wasn't sure how to continue.

"_Worrying?"_

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't..."

"_Tell me you haven't been up worrying until now?"_

"No. Grace woke me up."

"_Nightmares?"_

"Yes. And she woke up Lemmy and then I couldn't fall asleep." She took the pot from the plate and poured water into a cup. "Are you outside?"

"_Yeah, having a smoke with Jax." _She could hear his smile and then Jax yelling in the background.

"I'm sorry, again." She felt bad and the fact that she felt bad made her pissed. She had every right to be worried but at the same time... This was one of the reasons she had been so reluctant to forgive him. It would be like a black cloud over them. It's like a stain that never disappears no matter how much she rubs. She just couldn't let it go. Surprisingly, sex was easier now. It was like she needed to make sure he was satisfied and they had a lot of sex. He seemed as surprised as her by that. It was also about having him close, she needed him close to her.

"_Babe, don't be sorry. It's ok. I asked you to call. Don't want you lying awake."_

"Ok. I'm gonna go and read a bit before I try to get some more sleep."

"_Do that. How are the kids?"_

"Fine. They're asleep again." She sighed, took a deep breath. "I love you."

"_Good. Keep that up."_

She laughed. "I'll do my best. Will I see you tomorrow night?"

"_Yeah. Sleep tight, babe."_

Ava hung up and walked upstairs again. They had an armchair in the bedroom with a small table next to it. She sat down in it and turned on the light. A quick look at Grace and Lemmy made her convinced she could get away with sitting in there for some reading.

-o0o-

Happy hung up the phone and turned to Jax. They'd stopped at a gas station for some coffee and sugar to keep them going the coming two hours. They'd been done in Rogue River sooner than expected. When Jax had asked if anyone wanted to head home with him, Happy jumped the opportunity. He knew Ava was worried, she had no reason to be but he couldn't blame her for it so he wanted to surprise her.

"All good at home?" Jax asked.

"Yeah. Grace had nightmares and Ava had some trouble going back to sleep."

"Ready to roll?"

"Yeah."

They sat up and took off. Just over two hours later he walked into the house. It was quiet. He dropped off his clothes and stuff in the washroom and took a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom before going up to their bedroom.

He halted in the doorway. The bed was full. All of them were in it and he couldn't help to smile. He stood there or a few seconds to figure out what the fuck he was supposed to do now. He walked over to Ava's side and squatted down next to the bed. Gently, he stroke her hair out of her face and gave her a kiss.

"Happy?" She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing home?"

"Jax and I took off early."

"I just talked to you."

"Wanted to surprise you," he nodded towards the kids filling his side of the bed. "Doesn't look like you missed me that much."

"You can fit. Just push them towards the middle."

He gave her a kiss. "I was hoping for some post ride pussy."

"Is that so?" she said with a laugh. "If you were a bit younger we could've done it outside the bed even if it's post ride but..." He didn't let her finish and kissed her.

"I've been on the bike for hours," he mumbled against her lip. "Post ride pussy is me on my back."

"I know. Get in the bed, we'll be bad parents tomorrow morning and put them in front of the TV and go back to bed to get you some pussy."

"Sounds good." He gave her another kiss.

She pulled Lemmy closer to her and he pushed Grace a bit as well then got into the bed. He didn't think this would work and he was right. He woke up two hours later and gave up. Instead he went into Grace's room and took her bed.

When he woke the next time it was a full bed again and noticed he was once again in a full fucking bed since both kids had decided to get into the bed with him. And this was a kids bed.

"Hi, dad," Grace said and kissed his cheek. He still fucking loved to hear her say 'dad'. "You're in my bed."

"You were in my bed," he said and smiled when she giggled and Lemmy snuck up on his chest. He put his arm around Lemmy and pulled Grace into a hug. "Where's mom?"

"In the kitchen, she's making breakfast and told us to wake you and tell you to go to your bed. We're gonna watch a movie in here."

Sounded like Ava was already on the 'occupying the kids'-detail so he'd go and wait for her, in a while. He'd missed the kids too and he gave Lemmy a kiss.

"What's been going on here while I was gone?"

"I had a nightmare," Grace mumbled and then she suddenly smiled. "And we've been planning Lemmy's birthday party."

"You and mom?" Lemmy was lying on his arm and gave him a big smile when Grace mentioned the birthday party.

"No. Me and Gemma." She got out of the bed and pulled his hand. "Come on! It's breakfast."

"You said I could go back to my bed," he chuckled. He hadn't thought for a seconds she'd let him. And when Lemmy pulled as well he picked him up and followed them downstairs.

Ava was standing at the counter and he put down Lemmy on the floor and put her arms around her from behind. He kissed her cheek. "There was a flaw in you plan."

"Trust me, honey, there's no flaw in my plan," she answered and rubbed her ass against this dick. "I'm good at planning."

"I think I need a pair of jeans." Could walk around the kids with just boxers and a hard on. She laughed behind him when he went to the washroom.

He had breakfast with Lemmy in his knee and Grace next to him and it was great. Really. And in the middle of a conversation about the Mary Poppins musical Grace had seen with Pete he looked up and saw Ava smiling at him. It was the most honest smile he'd had from her in months and he smiled back, interrupted by Grace hitting his arm.

"You're not listening!"

"Sure I am." He looked at her. "They were dancing with cartoons."

"Yes. I liked that song. We're gonna rehears it so we know it." She looked at Lemmy. "Wanna watch a movie with me?"

When he looked at Ava she winked and started to clear the table.

"Let's get upstairs and let mom clean up." He stood up and Grace took his hand again.

It was strange. The last few months he'd been really content with this dad-stuff. He knew why. He'd been so fucking freaked out when he realized that Ava was close to taking off. The entire 'family man'-shit was looking a lot better now. Grace was jumping up the stairs ahead of him.

"Did you meet Big Al?"

"Yeah.," he said absently while trying to stay behind her so she wouldn't fall down if she slipped.

"Did you see his boys?"

"Yeah." His heart almost stopped when she stumbled a little. "Sugar, can you just walk properly, at least in the stairs?"

"I _am_ walking."

He took a deep breath when they were finally up the stairs and she ran into her room. He fucking hated her in the stairs. Happy followed with Lemmy and put him in her bed. Grace was already putting a dvd into the player.

Ava heard them go upstairs and cleaned up the kitchen. When she heard Happy saying he was going to take a shower she smiled and went upstairs as well. She looked into Grace's room and saw the two of them in her bed, watching a cartoon.

"You two ok?"

"Sure, mom." Grace didn't even bother to look at her.

Happy was still in the shower and she pulled off her nightgowns and stepped inside with him.

"Told you I had a plan."

"Does the plan mean I'll get some?"

"Obviously," she laughed and put her arms around him. "Missed you."

"Good," he gave her a kiss.

There were so many other things she wanted to say and ask him but she wouldn't. She knew she couldn't keep worrying and yet she did. Worried like hell. Happy was holding her cheeks, looking at her. Probably knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

"Grab my dick, babe." When she did he closed his eyes for a second and groaned. Then he opened his eyes again. "It's rock hard because I've been jerking off thinking about you, just like this, for the last four days."

"Ok," she smiled and gave it a couple of strokes.

He kissed her and thrusted into her hand. They kept kissing and he turned off the shower. With his mouth still on hers and she with her hand around his dick, he led her outside and grabbed a towel on the way. He didn't stop kissing her. Not even when he put the towel around her hair to dry off most of the water.

Finally he took her hand from his dick and nodded towards their bed. "Get down there."

"Fine."

He laid on top of her. "I know I'm not as smart as you but I'm not an idiot."

"Ok?" She had no idea where he was going with this.

"So you don't have to worry."

"I'm sorry."

"No. That wasn't my point." He smiled when his hand stroke the inside her thigh and she closed her eyes. "My point was..." he gave her a light kiss, "It won't happen again, I'm not an idiot and I know you're not giving me any more chances. But I get why you're worried and it's my own fault so call me, ask me shit or whatever the fuck you need. Let me know so I can try to make you feel better."

She placed her hands on his cheeks and smiled. "Ok. At the moment I just need you to keep moving that hand to make me feel better."

His fingers slipped inside her and she closed her eyes again. He did this so good and she pulled him down for a kiss. When he relaxed she felt his warm, very stiff dick agains her thigh. She moved her arms around him to get him closer and moaned into his mouth. Happy's lips turned into a smile and he leaned his forehead to hers and began to rub her clit with his thumb. It got to her every time and he knew it but she tried to keep her eyes open so she could see his eyes. The smile on his lips grew even bigger when he saw it.

When her stomach started to tense and her legs automatically spread wider, he moved down and flickered her nipple with his tongue and that's when she closer her eyes again. The things this man did to her blew her mind. And he loved doing it, loved watching her come. To try to keep quiet she put her hand over her mouth and moaned into it when she came around his fingers. When he didn't stop the movement she took his wrist to stop him, she was too sensitive and needed a few moments. He kissed her cheek.

"Missed me?"

"Yes. Missed your dick too."

"Think there's quite some time left of that movie and then I'm calling Gemma."

"Are you planning a full day?"

"Yes." In one swift move he was all inside of her. "All day in bed with my wife."

-o0o-

Happy looked at Ava who was half asleep on his arm. He'd called Gemma to get the kids for a while and she agreed. That was pretty much hit and miss though. She might as well have asked him to go and fuck himself. Luckily it was a big club and Ava had been babysitting more than once to give someone a day by themselves so there was always someone willing to take the kids for a while.

Ava seemed pleased and he turned towards her, kissing her beautiful face and when she opened her golden eyes he smiled.

"Less worried?"

"A little."

"Want me to buy you some bling?"

She laughed and kissed his chin. "No. I don't want any _bling__._"

"Anything else?"

He wanted to know what else he could do. He knew it hadn't been long and he'd probably be halfway in the doghouse for longer and he was fine with that. He just didn't want her to feel bad for being worried. This wasn't her fault and he needed her to understand that it wouldn't happen again. No fucking way would he fuck up like that again.

Ava was quiet while still looking at him. "Next time you're jerking of you could give me a call. I could help you."

Happy laughed. He loved his Old Lady but she wasn't much for talking dirty. She liked it when he did but she still tended to get all red and stuttered when she answered him. He kissed her cheek.

"You could give me a call if you're wet and are missing me." It would at least give him something new to tease her about when she called.

-o0o-

Ava was in bed when she picked up the phone.

"_Baby, please tell me you're calling cause you're all wet,"_ Happy chuckled.

She laughed and laid down in the pillows. "Soaking. Wish you were here so you could get that big cock balls deep in me."

There was a brief silence. _"Jesus fucking Christ!"_

"Hard?"

"_Oh, babe, you've got no idea."_

"I think I do." She got even further down in the bed and carefully stroke her belly. She had no idea how to do this but she was pretty sure Happy did. He knew every damn kind of sex so why not this. "And I'm all naked, in bed, so tell me what you'd do to me if you were here."

"_Oh, fuck."_ Happy laughed. _"I love you, babe. Get comfortable and get that hand down there."_


	19. I Was a Tricky Kid

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_Another little thing that popped up in my head. I've had the fortune to find a beta reader to help me with my lacking spelling and grammar-knowledge. So a big, big thank you to __**MuckyShroom**_**. **_And if you for any reasons have missed her stories, immediately do something about that. She also co-operates with __**Voracious-Bitch **__under the name __**UndomesticatedSoA**__ and they have written some amazing stories about the women of SOA. Don't miss those either._

_Any remaining misspellings or mistakes are my own._

_This takes place towards the end of Ava's pregnancy._

* * *

**I Was a Tricky Kid**

Grace was sitting at the workbench in the garage, her legs swinging back and forth while singing some song Happy didn't recognize. She had an apple in her hand and between bites she was wiggling a loose tooth. Her eyes were fixated on the bike Tig was working on and what he was doing. All the time, Tig kept talking to her about what he was fixing and what the different parts were.

Ava was at work but had been delayed so he'd picked up Grace from school and took her to the garage. She usually preferred that over Ava taking her home anyway, she loved being here and in all honesty, they all loved having her here. She knew what to stay away from and how to stay safe.

Ava had warned him that there would be more days like this. She wast trying to finish as much work as possible before she went on maternity leave. It was getting closer. He had no idea why she said it as a warning, he liked having Grace around. The day before she had a long monologue about why she liked rhinos better than elephants.

He glanced over at her again, to make sure it was all okay. She had jeans and one of her pink SOA t-shirts on. It had actually been some time since he'd seen her in anything but jeans and some type of bike t-shirt.

Once again she bit the apple, chewed, asked Tig some questions, and finally, put her finger into her mouth to feel the loose tooth.

Happy shook his head and went back to work. A few minutes later he heard her distressed voice.

"Oh! Oh, No! Happy!"

"What?" He turned around and looked at her. Her big blue eyes were staring at him.

"It's gone!"

"The tooth?" he said and got up to go over to her. She nodded, still with big eyes and the finger in her mouth. "Let me see."

Grace opened up wide and he could see where the tooth had been, there was some blood there.

"Must've swallowed it," Tig said and came over as well. "If it's not stuck in the apple."

She looked at the apple and with those big, puppy eyes, she looked at him when she shook her head.

"I'm not getting my dollar now," she said with a sad voice.

"Your dollar?" Happy was trying to figure out what she meant.

"You put your tooth under the pillow and the tooth fairy gives you a dollar," Tig explained. "Fuck, everyone knows that."

"Oh." He'd done it too when he was a kid but it wasn't like he remembered all that shit. "Of course. Was a penny when I was a kid."

Grace was looking at the apple again then she sighed. "I've had a dollar for all my other teeth."

She wasn't crying, not even close, but she had those fucking eyes. He racked his brain for some idea and when he looked down at the ground he saw some gravel. He lifted her off the table and kissed her forehead.

"I've got a plan. Go out to the yard and see if you can find some gravel. Same size as your teeth."

"Why?" Grace asked. He could hear Tig chuckle behind him. He'd probably figured out what the plan was.

"Just go, small ones. We're gonna trick the tooth fairy."

"Can you do that?" She looked skeptical.

"We're gonna try."

With a new smile on her face she ran outside. He turned to Tig.

"Think we got any white paint?"

Tig nodded. "Think Gemma's got tip-ex. I'll go and have a look." He shook his head as he walked.

Grace came running with gravel in her hands. "Found some." She looked at him. "Are we gonna make one of them look like a tooth."

"Yup," he said and took them from her. "Tig is getting us something to paint one with."

She was giggling now. "This is so great."

Together they found a pebble that matched in size and they carefully painted it with tip-ex.

"Think this'll work?" Grace asked, looking on while he painted.

"Yup. She'll find this and the new hole in your mouth. Ain't gonna be a problem."

"Happy."

"Yes, Sugar?"

"You're the best."

He looked at her and she had the biggest smile. There was more than one tooth missing in there. When he held out his arms she climbed up in his lap and gave him a kiss.

-o0o-

The next morning he woke up when Grace jumped up into the bed.

"Happy."

"Morning, Sugar."

She held a dollar just in front of his face. "It worked." Then she poked on Ava's shoulder. "Mommy, it worked. We tricked the tooth fairy."

Ava turned around and put her arms around Grace. "You're my little tricky kid."

"It was Happy's idea. He's a tricky..." He could see her mind searching, "...biker." She looked at him. "You're a tricky biker."

Happy laughed. "Give me a kiss and then, tricky kid, and we'll have breakfast."

She gave him a kiss. "Gotta pee." And she was gone in a flash. Still clutching the dollar in her hand.

He turned around to put his arm around Ava. "I'm a tricky biker."

"Don't I know it," she mumbled and crept closer. "What are you going to teach her next? Rob Santa?"

"She gave me the puppy dog eyes," he defended himself. "And I told her the tooth fairy checked the mouth so she wouldn't think she'd get away with it any other day."

"Very tricky biker." She gave him a kiss. "Tell me something. Did you do that as a kid?"

"What, put my teeth under my pillow?"

"Yes."

"Course I did."

Ava laughed. "I would've liked to see that. You putting your tooth under the pillow. I bet you were so cute."

"I wasn't cute, I was a tricky kid."

"Yeah?"

"How do you think I got the idea to paint gravel?"

He'd done that, just after he'd dropped his first tooth and he still believed in the tooth fairy. His mom had switched the gravel for a piece of paper, signed 'the tooth fairy', that said that if he ever tried that again he'd meet the spanking bunny. He never tried it again. He might've been a tricky kid but he had a ruthless mom.


	20. No Need To Worry

___Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy or any of the characters in the show. It's the property of Kurt Sutter, Sutter Ink and FX._

_A short one that just got to me, so I wrote it down. I think I still miss Grace sometimes, so here's some Grace & Happy for you._

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**No Need To Worry**

Happy was working on a car when he noticed Grace coming. Something was off and had been for a couple of days, he knew it, but he had no idea what it was. When she came into the garage, she grabbed a coke and a straw, threw down her bag and jumped up on a workbench. All without saying a word.

He looked at his almost twelve year old daughter, but she still didn't say anything. With a sigh he dried of his hands, pulled up a stool and sat down in front of her.

"Wanna tell me what's up, Sugar?"

"Nothin'."

"Honey, don't try with me."

"It's..." she looked at him with those bright blue eyes and bit down in her lower lip. "...this guy."

Pete! It had to be Pete. He'd seen this coming and he... fuck!

"Okay?"

"He's... really cute, and I think he likes me." Fucking Pete. And he couldn't beat up a twelve year old. He'd like to. If that boy broke her heart he'd... "But... I can't, like, do something. Peter likes him too."

Wait! What the fuck did she just say?

"Hang on! It's not Pete?."

"Daaaad! You're not listening!" She half yelled and jumped down and while Happy was still sorting his thoughts she walked out.

She liked a guy, that like her, but Pete liked him too. Did he get that right? Pete liked a guy.

He needed a drink.

Happy got up and followed Grace. "Sugar! I'm sorry. Please stop!"

Thankfully she did and turned around, glaring at him. He put his hand on her back and moved her towards a bench.

"Honey, I'm just trying to figure this out. Pete likes a guy."

"Yes. That I like."

"So... Pete likes guys?"

"Duh!" She said and looked at him like he was the biggest idiot on the planet. "That's not the important part here."

It fucking was to him. He'd been worried about Pete and Grace. Ava fucking let them have sleepovers, in the same room. At least he didn't have to worry about those things. Unless...

"Does he _only_ like boys."

"Yes. He's gay, can we leave that part now? We like the same guy, but I mean, Peter's my best friend."

This was not Happy's area of expertise at fucking all. He'd shared girls with his brothers for years and shit like that never bothered him. Until he met Ava. He'd kill anyone who tried anything with her, but he wasn't all that worried about that. She had his crow and he knew she was all his.

Besides. Grace wasn't twelve yet. What the fuck did 'liking' someone mean when you were that age. That you wanted to hold their hand? He fucking hoped it was about holding their hand.

"Honey, I'm not sure what to say," he finally admitted.

"I know," she mumbled and moved closer. "I just wanted to talk, maybe get a hug?"

He lifted her up into his lap.

"I'm sorry that I suck at this."

He noticed Tig coming towards them.

"Hey, what's up with Sunshine?" He asked and sat down next to them.

Grace looked at him. "Peter and I like the same guy."

"Ahhh." Tig said and lit a smoke. He didn't seem surprised at all. "Well, doll. You know what they say. Bros before hoes."

Happy sighed. "Tig..."

"What?" Grace said at the same time.

"Friends are forever, girl. They go first. Friends and family."

"I know that."

"Think Pete'll make a move on the guy even if he knows you like him?"

"No!" Grace almost looked upset. "Of course not. Just like I wouldn't."

"Then what's the problem?" Tig shrugged. "Pete's your guy, don't let shit like that come between the two of you."

Grace sat in silence for a while. "I'm gonna go and call Peter." she said and jumped down, half running towards the office.

"Really? Bros before hoes. You just said that to my daughter?"

"Yup. Sums it up and she got it."

Happy had to admit that Tig was right about that.

"And did you know Pete was gay?"

Tig looked at him with big eyes. "You kiddin' me? The kid's got glittery t-shirts and loves musicals. You seriously didn't know? How the fuck did you miss that?"

"I guess..."

Suddenly Tig started to laugh. "Oh, fuck, man! You've been worried about him and Grace, haven't you?"

"Well..."

"Fucking hell." Tig shook his head and stood up. "No need, brother. In a couple of years you'll have to worry about everyone else though."

Happy did feel kind of stupid it when he thought about it. Tig was right, it had been pretty damn obvious, he's just... that was his girl, he worried.

She came running back to him a few minutes later and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him hard.

"All okay with you and Pete?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Think that was more Tig than me, Sugar."

"You tried and I still love you more," she mumbled into the side of his neck. "Can you take me on a ride?"

"Sure." He hugged her tighter. That was his area of expertise, taking his baby girl on a ride.

-o0o-

That night he laid in bed and watched Ava get ready in the bathroom. He liked that. Fucking hell, she fussed over shit, washed her face with different stuff, rubbed other stuff in and then she put lotion on her legs, that was his favorite part and she knew that. She put her leg up on the toilet and rubbed it all the way up to her pussy, and then the other.

When she finally came walking he held out his arms.

"Fucking tease," he laughed and she smiled.

"You told me to leave the door open when I did that." She straddled him and gave him a kiss. "Talked to Grace earlier, she told me about her boy problems, but that you and Tig helped her to sort it out. Bros before hoes?"

"That was Tig."

"Obviously."

He wasn't sure if he should ask, but finally he did. "Did you know that Pete is gay?"

She sat up and stared at him. "Oh, Happy. Is that why you've been all worried about the sleepovers?"

"Maybe."

She laughed a little and leaned over him again, giving him small kisses, grinding her hips against him.

"No need to worry." She sat up again, pulled off the t-shirt and looked down at him. "Wanna blow off some steam?"

He fucking loved those tits.

-o0o-

The next morning he watched Pete skip into their kitchen, giving Grace a hug after a very perky: 'Morning, Happy!'

He had bright yellow jeans, a green t-shirt with a glittery print and when he reached up his arms, Happy noticed the pink belt.

Tig was right; how the fuck did he miss that?


End file.
